Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Rating: 9/10 (5 June 2020)

A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: George A. Romero, James Gunn (screenplay)
Stars: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer
Dawn of the Dead is not just a good remake ..it is a good zombie film in general. 28 Days Later basically kicked started the zombie genre again in 2003 and in a sense helped this movie get green lighted. It shows that the zombie genre is in full force because Dawn of the Dead 2004 does not disappoint. The director Zack Snyder really knew what we wanted. He did not just do a remake and carbon copied the original. He made the film stand out on its own and one of the thing he added was fast moving zombies. In my opinion it worked and made the film intense.
The movie waste no time getting to the blood and gore. Within the first 10 minutes we are treated to an intense zombie opening . Not sure I can recall witnessing an opening sequence quite like the one I saw in Zack Snyder's remake of the classic horror film 'Dawn of the Dead.' Besides being rather lengthy (it's over ten minutes before we see the opening credits), it has a bizarre creepiness about it. There's something about the cinematography employed to show us 'the beginning of the end' that I really liked; followed by one of the best opening credits ever. What better way to start off this bloody film than with Johnny Cash?
This is a remake that actually works. The characters, for all their strength and weaknesses, are decently fleshed out for a horror movie. There a few unexpected surprises that even the most attentive viewer will take pleasure in. Spoiler :a zombie baby. And the action moves along at a clean, fast pace. This is one hell of a horror movie.