Pretty good remake.

Rating: 8/10 (7 February 2008)

Usually, I do not like remakes. However, the contemporary version of Dawn of the Dead breaks the usual trend and entertained me. It could never live up to the original caliber and vision of the original 1978 masterpiece, but it makes a good movie in its own rite. A nurse named Ana (Sarah Polley) wakes up one morning to find her world upside down. Her husband is immediately infected by a virus that brings back the dead. She runs to find Kenneth (Ving Rhames), Steve (Ty Burrell) along with a few other survivors. Afraid of the zombies, they decide to hide in a large mall. Unfortunately, they meet the wrong mall security guards. CJ (Michael Kelly) leads his deputies to threaten, intimidate, and harass their fellow humans whom they consider captives. Eventually, Ana, Steve and Kenneth are able to take over and allow more people to seek refuge in the mall. They make a friend across the street. Andy (Bruce Bohne) might as well be miles away as thousands of zombies litter the street in full force. They communicate with signs. Eventually, they realize they cannot stay or they will die. They make an attempt to escape to an island within the Great Lakes. To review this one, you have to compare it to the original. In the first place, I will fault the new adaptation with having too many characters. At one point, it gets weighed down. Still, the dynamic is more ripe for conflict amidst the survivors. At the same time, some characters are redeemed, like CJ who eventually comes around to be an all right guy. Also, the idea of fast moving zombies really adds to the tension. It made me wonder if they represented the disenfranchised and angry consumer as opposed to the mindless shopper zombie of the original movie. Also, while the original had a few scares, this one is more action oriented. It moves much faster to entertain instead of developing slowly to create thought. I also liked the cameos by Scott Reiniger, David Emgee and Ken Foree. I will also say this version has a more cynical and dark ending as opposed to the original. This is neither good or bad, just different. Still, I thought the movie deserved a better ending. Dawn of the Dead 2004 has enough to make it fresh, and enough to keep you interested. Just don't expect it to overshadow Romero's masterpiece.