A Re-Envisioning That's Actually Good!

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2004)

Okay, I saw Dawn of the Dead tonight in a sneak preview and here's what I think... (Beware of random "stream of consciousness" thoughts)

I'm a huge fan of the original and I think this is a worthy remake. It's not without its flaws, but it is a solid film all around. I would recommend seeing it.
There are several moments (for me) when I found myself saying "what the f*** are you doing????!" but I guess that's true of any horror film. For the most part, characters behave as I believe they would (and should) in this situation, but a few things are kind of "out there."
The opening is fantastic (as those who've seen the first ten minutes on Sci-Fi channel can attest) and it doesn't let up from there. It draws the audience in.
Many of the characters actually DEVELOP over the course of the film...a novel concept for horror buffs. Only a few characters don't grow...and you can imagine why.
The "fast zombies" don't really bother me...they add a new dimension of terror, but might seem weird to the purists out there. Personally, I think they're TOO fast. I'd have opted for something faster than the classic zombies, but not THIS fast. I'm thinking "speed walking" would be ideal.

There's a rather large cast here and, with the exception of one guy who can't act his way out of a wet paper bag (you'll know who he is), the acting is very solid.
Whoever did the soundtrack (or made the soundtrack choices) is brilliant. You'll know what I mean when you see the movie. I nearly wet myself laughing at one point.
Makeup effects are nice, as is the film quality in general. You'll know at the end why they sent the movie to the MPAA four times to get an "R" rating. As a side note, however, I think Passion of the Christ was probably more violent.
Great dialogue...only one or two (or three) lines in the whole film could be considered "off" or groaners.
Great sense of humor... There were a lot of "laugh out loud" moments to break up the tension...all well placed. The audience really got into it.

In short, go see it if you're a fan of the original or of horror films in general. You'll enjoy it. I'm about the most cynical person I know when it comes to "remakes" or "re-envisionings" of classic films and I thought this was a great effort.
As I said, not perfect, but worth seeing... Enjoy!