A remake that is entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (13 May 2010)

Tried to make this Spoiler Free, but warning is in place just in case.
Remakes have been the studio biz model for quite some time now and the craze seemed to have kicked into high gear around 2002. Now most people can't stand the thought of a remake because as we age we have already fell in love with the original and it is hard for a remake of a film we love to capture the magic of its original/parent.
Zack Snyder was tapped to helm the 2004 reboot of George A. Romero's Zombie classic DAWN of the DEAD, a commercial and documentary director making his debut in feature film motion pictures. Zack brought a different kind of energy to the table with this reboot of the classic film, but he didn't bring the epic feel and vibe from the original film.
While Romero has gone on record saying DAWN was like comic book romp, it still had a very deep horror vibe and even though you spend the majority of the film inside the mall with the cast, the film always felt bigger, and this was done effectively by setting up the chaos of the zombie uprising from the get go by having the commentators arguing on TV about how to deal with the situation. That single moment set the entire tone for DAWN of the DEAD and while it has its campier moments it was forever cemented in celluloid history as a zombie horror film.
Zack doesn't try that approach, nor does DAWN of the DEAD 2004 contain anything remotely related to what you would consider horror. Instead what DAWN of the DEAD 2004 does do is become a terror action film. Zack sets up the story and visuals nicely within the first ten minutes, but loses that epic feel by not following the successful formula Romero used in DAWN 1978. Now of course had he copied what Romero did it would have been pointless, but DAWN 2004 manages to move in a completely different direction where the mall is just a safe haven, not a social commentary on consumerism. To get the film into a somewhat quasi horror mode he uses the track star style zombies found in the recent 28 Days Later film from 2002. While this is great to create moments of terror it doesn't create the element of horror.
Now you'd think I hate DAWN 2004 by what I am saying, but I don't. I just don't hold it in high regard like the original film. Zack effectively made a commercialized version of DAWN of the DEAD, but he didn't have the magic to make it what it could have been and that can be contributed to the screenplay written by James Gunn, which was kind of weak, but what made up for the screenplay was some of the cast and characters.
Michael (Jake Webber) is probably the most fascinating character in the film, not a man of a lot f words his feeling and emotions are expressed by facial expressions and body language. He wants to fight, he wants to survive and he is not just thinking of himself but of everyone stuck in the situation. This is a great trait in modern horror films that you don't see very often and it is Jake's acting that seals the deal and makes Dawn 2004 work well.
My biggest disappointment was the lack of use for actor Ving Rhames. Ving, a great character actor is good to have on screen, but is so under used that it seemed like a waste to have him in the cast. Tis a shame because I think had the screenplay been given another pass through by another writer they could have flushed his character out more. What you do learn of his character is minimal, but it is told in such a way you want to know more. One of the original drafts of the DAWN 2004 screenplay had a set up of how VING ended up meeting Sarah Polley, why he was on foot and what he witnessed that had him toughened up, but due to budget constraints or whatever the issue this element of the screenplay was dropped in favor of a quick meeting in the woods at the wreck site of Polley's TOYOTA... (must of been a sticky gas pedal) Anyway, my biggest complaint would have to be the under use of VING in the flick.
Sarah Polley, a decent addition, but doesn't really bring anything to the table worth noting. She or her character really don't stand out.
Ty Burrell, who plays Steve the millionaire snob and Michael Kelly (CJ) really deserve some kudos's because between them both they were just about to steal the show, I wish one or the other would have pulled it off, but the mix of each of them having their own selfish attitudes worked great and made for some really entertaining moments. While CJ and Steve are the films two antagonists, you end up rooting for one before the film ends, that characters transformation was a little quick, but worthy and delivers one of the funniest and fist pumping lines when he gets himself into some tough situations.
The rest of the cause was OK, and you could easily tell who would be meeting their maker once they were introduced on screen, which is sort of a shame, but you can't have a horror film without a body count... and the zombies don't count.
Anyway, if you're looking for a 2 hour entertaining action based zombie film DAWN of the DEAD 2004 is a nice treat on a boring afternoon. If you want depth, locate the original flick and give it watch. Either way though, I will say DAWN 2004 is one of the better remakes out today and it deserves to be watched and celebrated.