B Action/Horror thriller delivers . . .

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2004)

Yes, I was at first pretty skeptical of this remake to Romero's memorable class-sick. WHY??? It's not like it was an older B&W B film, although I always preferred the original NOTLD in B&W for the grim mood it conveyed.
Anyways, a friend convinced me to watch this 'remake' on DVD. I'm now very glad he talked me into it. The opening was smashing, and had me immediately engaged - not a single wasted second, thanks to good camera-work and tight editing. The sense of tension really grows as it appears that most of the world is now under siege from the killer-zombies. There is a strong, building momentum to the pacing and escalating menace which the characters now find themselves cast adrift in.
The zombies move at a very fast pace in this version, giving it a riveting action edge. Comparing both the original and this remake is an 'apples & oranges' thing to me. Both stand on their separate merits, and actually compliment each other. Like showing two different perspectives of the zombie invasion from two different towns, and the similar gut reactions of both groups of desperate characters. Yay, I know, how does that explain why they are swift in one area and near-crippled in another??!! I'll consider any sound suggestions.
For a taut entertaining horror/thriller this does deliver and it held my suspenseful interest til the end. The lead woman was the best character, followed by Ving Rhames who is solid and believable. I cared about the fates of everyone, and that is always a good sign, or, in this case, a bad sign. The sense of dread is prevalent throughout.
One problem I had was that no one ever asks what is happening, what caused this; etc. They just accept it like recurring characters on a TV series. If you were suddenly caught up in this bloody nightmare, wouldn't you wonder what has caused this, and what the authorities are doing about it? The news announcers don't ever mention anything either or even express any wonder. Things like this can erode any suspense the film is trying to create.
Otherwise, the zombies bear similarities to the infected 'zombie-like' killers in 28 DAYS LATER, but I found this to be a far better film. There are only a few gory moments, but they work within the film's tight structure.
You may want to rent it some night when you're in the mood for a good zombie thriller. Just don't expect a great masterpiece.