Great fun but no classic

Rating: 6/10 (8 August 2005)

Let's face it. I didn't want this movie to be made. I felt like kicking someone's dog when it was announced. How could the studios give first-timer Zack Snyder money to remake George Romero's classic, yet not give Georgie a couple of bucks to finish off his own series? I didn't watch this at the movies, even though I love James Gunn. It finally came out in its 'uncut' form on DVD and.... it was pretty cool. Some of the ideas were well executed (if unoriginal), Ving Rhames turned in a spirited performance and no, my copy of the original didn't mysteriously disappear after seeing this newer version.
The pace of the film was tight, the makeup was brilliant and I had a helluva time sitting through it. But afterwards...nothing. What I had seen was much like the popcorn I munched throughout, tasty but not exactly nutritious. Romero's original trilogy was like sitting down to a kilo steak, potatoes, chips and a fine glass of wine. You felt satisfied. Dawn of the Dead 2004 was so full of quick cuts, bloodless killings, CGI and paper thin characters that a week later, I could remember little about the movie other than a few key plot points and "hey...that's cool" moments.
These feelings were only heightened when I watched DotD '04 a couple of days after Romero's Land of the Dead, a film that managed to pack in as many hip, exciting scenarios whilst offering deep characters and and a thoughtful storyline. And you actually got to see the zombies. Snyder did great, but he couldn't get close to Romero.
But enough about Romero. Snyder's created an above-average horror flick that's a great way to pass a couple of hours. There's enough action in there to please even the fussiest of fans, some truly eerie imagery and is a fantastic addition to the genre. You just might have to grab a burger on the way home.