I'm positively surprised!

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2004)

There is no need to talk about the many qualities of the original 1978 `Dawn Of The Dead' here. George A. Romero's movie has long since been a movie classic, not only in the horror category. It is no surprise then, that in times of annoying remakes like `The Getaway' or the upcoming `Assault On Precinct 13', a certain feeling of scepticism is at hand when it comes to Zack Snyder's updated version of `Dawn Of The Dead'. Beside the fact that there is no need to redo a perfect movie, Snyder, as a director of commercials, didn't seem the best of choices to do the job. But maybe we were a bit prejudiced here. Snyder did a good job, he even did an outstanding job. Just as Romero's movie has many satiric elements and comments on the society of the 70's, his version perfectly mirrors today's fast paced society. A lot of action replaces atmosphere, comic relief replaces irony and unstoppable killing machines replace the old somnanbulists. But it all works out extremely well. With all the action, fast cutting and contemporary music, `Dawn Of The Dead 2004' really kicks ass. And it's owing to Snyder, that even the character development doesn't come short. Needless to say that this is not a character study like Romero's original, although Snyder manages to provide his panopticum of archetypes with enough twists and turns to develop sympathy. My advice is to watch this as independently of the original as possible. You will be rewarded with a roller coaster ride and maybe with one of the best genre movies the still young century has to offer.