A review from someone who has never seen the original

Rating: 8/10 (23 March 2004)

Yep, I never saw the original.
With that in mind, I liked it. I like zombie movies as a general rule; if you don't, you won't like this one either.
If you do, you'll enjoy watching this one. Will you like it? Maybe, maybe not. You'll jump a few times, and you'll want to know what's going to happen next.
Excellent performances by Mekhi Phifer and Michael Kelly. Gorier than 28 Days Later, and with better gore than most horror movies. Keep your ears ready for a bizarre version of The Disturbed's "Down With the Sickness", which has been slowed to almost lullabye speed. I didn't recognize it til I wondered why everyone in the theatre was laughing.
I gave it 8/10; that means I'll buy the DVD, but probably won't ever consider it to have been an especially brilliant movie. Final advice: Go see it if you like horror flicks. Don't bother if you don't like horror or if you're squeamish.