Worthy of regard as a stand-alone film.

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2008)

Please note that some of the content below could be considered spoilerish.
The 2004 version of "Dawn of the Dead" could definitely be a standalone from the original. The similarities I noted in this film to the original are as follows; 1. The Title 2. Zombies 3. Survivors stuck in a mall.
Not only is the movie unique from the original, but it's not close to bad. Many of the scenes become incredibly tense, and the cast of characters don't make terrible decisions that would get them killed, like in so many other modern horrors. The ending was a little bit of a stretch, but the characters felt very real, for the most part, and the dialog and acting were quite good.
Make sure to stay for the credits, too. There's not so much a secret scene after them, as there are a variety of scenes during, which were surprisingly disturbing.
Far exceeded my expectations. 9/10