Hands down the BEST zombie apocalypse MOVIE EVER MADE.

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 2010)

This film was made in 2004, I'm reviewing it today six years later and you know what? It's still the best. The only film that comes close rivaling this masterpiece is Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. But when you watch the two in marathon viewing, clearly Dawn of the Dead 2004 will have the upper hand and stays in you for hours, maybe days, weeks, months and years. And to think this is Zack Snyder's directorial debut? Incredible.
Now what sets Dawn of the Dead 2004 apart from the past and present zombie flicks and in between, is that bold, brave and beautiful. It astonishingly mixed realism, horror, suspense, comedy, action and drama that's rarely seen for its genre, if not until its arrival. The story's straight to the point, it's pretty basic in terms of zombie apocalypse but it all comes down on how well everything else besides the story is executed. And this is where Snyder shines; you can relate to any of the characters and each are so well done so kudos too to the actors, the special effects are insanely realistic, and most of all chaos is really felt in the film, and Snyder showed amazingly how hell breaks loose when the dead walks in your neighborhood.
It's fast-paced, hence the comparison to 28 Days Later and a far cry to the originals. But that's what everybody likes. Dawn of the Dead 2004 is a very re-watchable film (did I mention the Unrated DVD is a must-have?), you won't get tired of it easily, you'll notice subtle stuff on each viewing and even more appreciate the vastly superior cinematography seen in zombie movies genre. That too, why this is the best zombie apocalypse movie ever made.