A different enough remake to be a success

Rating: 6/10 (29 June 2016)

When I heard that this loose remake of the Romero classic was scripted by the guy who also did SCOOBY DOO, I cried. Then I went to the cinema to see for myself (no matter what reviews might say, it's always worth checking out movies for yourself; sometimes you might be pleasantly surprised). As it stands, DAWN OF THE DEAD is an acceptable remake-cum-horror-thriller which uses the original film as a basis for the story and then moves on from there. Luckily, it's not too similar to the '70s classic; half the film is set in the mall and the rest is an extended chase between humans and zombies. The zombies here are quite good although, I have to say, I prefer the slow-moving variety to the animalistic killers in this and 28 DAYS LATER. Special effects have progressed to a grimly realistic level and the film is packed with enough grue and gore and spraying blood to please any avid horror fan.
As a plus, the film retains a grip on characterisation and deals with some fleshed-out people. The acting of the leads is great. Sarah Polley (looking uncannily like Gaylen Ross) is a strong-willed heroine, Ving Rhames is the tough, silent, kick-ass cop. Kudos to Jake Weber for his excellent turn as the group's leader, and especially Michael Kelly, who starts off as an idiot security guard and ends up being the most heroic of them all. Fans of the original will enjoy seeing Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger and Tom Savini in brief cameos on the televisions.
I had mixed feelings about the direction, but for the most part it's good. The last half an hour employs camera-shaking, jumpy music-style shots to depict a bus chase. I enjoyed it, but I couldn't have put up with it for that long. There are many enjoyable and surprising moments, like the games played with Andy from the gun store, and the use of a chainsaw which ends in calamity. There's an ambiguous ending, but if you stay and watch the credits you'll see that things become a lot more downbeat. Special effects of the decaying, mutilated zombies are disturbingly real and there are some automobile accidents that'll have you watching with your mouth open. Watch out for the zombies being crushed and mown down by trucks, some of my favourite moments. Particularly good is the first ten minutes, which puts across the hopelessness of the sudden destruction of society in a way I found to be particularly frightening. Strong horror entertainment, hopefully we'll see more like this.