really rather good!

Rating: Null/10 (29 March 2004)

I once thought that the idea of a remake, was a cheap, lazy and unimaginative way of flogging an old product to a new audience with minimal care or effort. However the last few remakes have been surprisingly good, Ring, Texas Chain Saw Massacre and now Dawn of the Dead. I was really pleasantly surprised as to how excellent this film is. The story was tight, the acting excellent (Ving Rhames bringing real presence) and it plays the horror straight, with non of this ironic nonsense which seemed to infect every horror film made in the 90's. Perhaps this is why the current wave of horror directors are looking back to the 70s for their inspiration. This was when horror took itself seriously and pushed the boundaries of taste and acceptability. This is what I admire about this remake of Dawn, it is not frightened of being brutal and the violence is scary. Updating it with running zombies and shooting some segments of it on handheld cameras - although probably inspired by the equally excellent 28 Days Later - brings a rawness and veracity to the film. Ok so it may lack the originals pokes at consumerism, but this doesn't detract it from being one of the more superior horror films of the last few years. And it has to be mentioned, the choice of Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" as the title music is a stroke of genius, completely unexpected but thoroughly appropriate. Don't leave as the credits roll as the film has still not finished and things take another turn. In all an excellent film and shows that the long awaited renaissance in horror films may be upon us.