Instant classic

Rating: 9/10 (30 March 2004)

I just got back from this.
It absolutely rocked. I think it is the best zombie movie of all time, including the original Dawn of the Dead, although the pace was closer to Cameron than Romero.
I was leery of the general idea of a remake of the Romero classic, until I noticed Sarah Polley was in it. She simply doesn't do bad movies, so her presence promised something more than just a derivative schlockfest.

It masterfully combines the rollercoaster Hollywood film with the sheer creepiness of the original. It also has enough of the light touch of the original to offset the horror enough to be just barely tolerable.
Additionally, the zombie makeup manages to be campy and silly and terrifying at the same time. This is a good trick.
This kind of movie has to be judged with the gut, and I found myself cringing in my seat more than once. It had a lot of similarities to 28 Days Later, but was just plain better, without the pacing problems of the last half of 28 Days.
The first ten minutes are superbly paced, and the situation develops with a near total lack of the stupid exposition or explanation that usually interrupts the carnage long enough to be annoying in a disaster movie. The total collapse of society is so quick that it mercifully leaves little time for stupid talking heads. The movie dives headfirst into the absolute horror of the situation without sentimentality.
This also has the best opening credits I have seen since Se7en, with "When the Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash setting the tone for the rest of the movie.
The movie is packed with scenes so rattling that the rare calm scene where little is happening is completely nerve-racking. I still have an adrenaline rush.
Anyway, if you like zombie movies, this is, in my opinion, the ultimate one. I liked the original, but this one takes the original and kicks its ass. My only (slight) gripe is the overuse near the end of faux-clumsy handheld-style tracking shots, but I can live with it. The scenes in question are still paced perfectly. I also don't have any better idea for how they could have done it. Obviously vanilla smooth Steadicam or dolly shots would have been completely out of the question.
The best single performance in the film is Matt (Max Headroom) Frewer's, as a doomed zombie bite victim. This scene includes one of the few direct Romero allusions, specifically the shot used on the most commonly seen poster for the 1978 classic.
Another great thing about this film is it is the perfect film to knock Mel Gibson out of the #1 spot.