Better than I guessed it would be

Rating: 7/10 (15 April 2006)

I am writing this as a fan of artsy fartsy visual storytelling rather than one who loves gory graphical horror, or the zombie theme as a whole. I can't say i disliked DOD '04, although I don't think it is as masterful as the original. Keep in mind that DOD and DOD '04 are hard to compare since they definitely differ a lot in style and audiovisual expression as well as plot-wise. Perhaps Romero would have liked the possibilities new technology in film-making has brought with it, but the '78'er's the big advantage over 04 is the fact that horror easily gets a bit pathetic and not scary.
A zombie model '04 is a remarkably scarier creature than its cousin of 1978; it moves as fast, or even faster than a living human and is a goal-oriented killing/eating machine. Thus one of the main points in the original movie is lost. The inefficient, slow ex-consumer stuck in a circle of reliving old habits and instincts in the mall of the '78 version is long gone, while horror movie clichés are planted everywhere. There is, however a very good take on the consumerism of today still left, revised but intact, and that sort of saves this new version from being gory rubbish, at least seen from an artistic and social commentary oriented point of view.
The very important words Us & Them and the them still have their meaning here, but sadly, in a way, the threat of other human beings in the "chaotic end of the world zombie takeover"-sort of situation is in a way replaced by raging zombies that are pure monsters rather than stupid corpses suffering from hyperactivity The acting is, I think, more professional, even if not always much convincing here in Zack Snyder's version. I can, however say that I liked the urban, cynical, rich, modern, pathetic asshole ("Steve") played by Ty Burrell. Visually its prettier and creepier and more dramatic but also introduces the risk of too much action, which there definitely is. Together with the industrial heavy metal inspired soundtrack the taste of splashy, mediocre horror is present, luckily combined with an interesting picture of life in the early 00's. It's also sad that the sound mix didn't have what it takes to boost horror.
Through the movie we get the chance to compare dignified deaths, stupid deaths and the messy deaths of fighters, but the outcome is always the same in a meaningless way that very well concludes the whole mood of the film, where the viewer can observe the danger of the most loved but always lying part of the human imagination: Hope.