pleasantly surprised

Rating: Null/10 (4 April 2004)

I went to see this movie with some trepidation as I am a big fan of the original trilogy of the dead. I refused to even watch the Texas chainsaw remake as I hold the original to be one of the all time horror greats. Saying that though, i was intrigued, and felt the gorier moments of the original 'Dawn' were tainted by the unrealistic blood effects, so a gorier remake was needed. The opening 10-15 minutes were one of the most exhilarating i have ever seen and called to mind Saving Private Ryan's explosive beginning. The action is first rate, and very rarely ceases during the whole film. Throw in a ton of blood, multiple impalings, even more exploding zombie heads and you have a very satisfying blend. There's even some decent comic moments, a rarity in modern day horrors and the cast all perform admirably, (especially the dude who plays CJ). The directing is excellent for a first timer, although some ideas are taken from Danny Boyle's 28 days later. I especially liked the end credits, (don't leave early). All in all, top notch, and well worth the fee. Can't wait for the DVD release.