Another remake, but at least Dawn isn't all that bad.

Rating: 7/10 (30 December 2004)

Hollywood is suffering from a new disease...........remakeitis! So far in 2004, we have seen remakes of Flight of the Phoenix, Stepford Wives, Walking Tall and Dawn of the Dead. And their are more to come in 2005, which tells me that ideas are scarce in Hollywood. I'm not dogging remakes. But with the increase we have seen just in the last few years, I really am starting to worry that studios are abandoning "original" ideas. In any case, when I heard that Dawn was going to be remade, my first thought was that it really couldn't be any worse than the original. I know the original Dawn has a cult-like following, but in all honesty that film is not very good.
So..........what about the 2004 version? Well, let me say this. The remake is good, when you compare it to the original. But, I do have several problems with this film. I'll get to those in a second. Let me address the positives.
First of all, this film does not follow the original in every detail. Most remakes don't, but for Dawn this was actually the best choice. Dawn is all about one thing...........survival. We have a group of people that are simply trying to survive. I like the fact that the group becomes a family of sorts, realizing that they need one another to survive. I also liked how Ving Rhames was the only true bad-ass in the film. He is a cop, so it is to be expected. But Rhames (as he usually does) plays this part so well that you love it when he starts to accumulate a high body count of zombies. I liked the diversity of characters. A salesman, a nurse, a gay organ player for a church, a playboy, a jerk security guard...........as that diversity meshes really well in this film. I also liked how in the midst of all the chaos, the characters get to know one another, meaning we get to know who they are. A lot of time, films like Dawn look past this aspect. I'm glad the director didn't do that. And then their is the segment that had me rolling..........and for you Disturbed fans out their, you know what I am talking about. Using Disturbed's "The Sickness", they had some guy singing the song in a Frank Sinatra style that just was so funny, I had to play the over again. It is pure genius to use this song in the film, but to do it in this way was just so damn funny.
Now, the bad stuff. I guess their is a handbook out their entitled "What to do when Zombies attack". And in that book, the author must have stated that the first place to seek shelter is..........The Mall! And wouldn't you know, the zombies must have known this (or maybe the author turned into a zombie and told all his zombie buddies that survivors will flock to the mall) cause right before our group of survivors can get into the mall, the zombies show up. Okay, I can live with this. But I refuse to accept that mall security guards will be packing heat. In Dawn, the security guys are packing, which was a terrible thing to have in the film. Then, this movie wasted Mekhi Phiefer's talents. If you watch ER, then you know this guy is one hell of an actor. Here, he is wasted. Lastly, this film is not a horror movie. It is an action film with zombies. Their really isn't anything scary about this film. The zombies look great, meaning they look hideous and scary. But the film is not a horror film.
Overall, Dawn is good for what it is, and it is actually a remake that is better than the original. Having Rhames as the lead character was a great call, cause anybody else in that role just wouldn't work. I think Ving is one of the most under-appreciated actors today. But I also have to mention Jake Weber, mostly because I hope this film will give him more exposure. The guy is a great talent, and he plays his part so well that you really feel for him in the end. Those two made this movie for me.