The way it was supposed to be done.......(spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2004)

Upon seeing the unwatchable piece of trash that was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre REMAKE (loved the original, for the record), I was damn skeptical of subsequent remakes of any film that was a classic in its time. I was even more skeptical when I read that the writer for the Scooby Doo film was going to be handling it. Despite all that bad karma, I'm happy to say that Dawn of the Dead changed my mind and restored my faith in remakes.
Typical George Romero zombies are slow-moving and to the average human, not too threatening unless there's a whole bunch of them. THESE zombies were closer to the creatures in 28 Days Later - you know, the kind that'll throw you across the room and rip your throat out before you even realize you're dealing with zombies at all. While some purists might not agree with the idea of streamlining these zombies, making them faster and more deadly only brought up the terror level to an almost unbearable level and created a whole new reason to be afraid. The updated twist on the original story allowed the director to blow up the complete chaos and armaggedon that are the central premise of zombie films, all appropriately set to Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" during the opening credits. This was accompanied by grainy, chilling news-TV shots that might make you think for just a second that life as we know it just may be ending outside your door.
I was also impressed by the clever use of humor in this film. Its scary, but its equally REALLY funny. The sarcasm of the characters, in the manner they present themselves to the audience and to each other, provides a wonderful backdrop to the frightening, unbelievable situation they are in. While some horror films try to squeeze in comic relief moments wherever they may find room, this film combines both brilliantly.
From the first frame to the last (stick around for the scene after the credits), I loved it. Loved it. This is the way a remake is supposed to be done. The guilty parties behind the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake should be taking notes. George Romero would be damn proud.