Has Its Moments

Rating: 7/10 (10 March 2007)

We take these sorts of movies pretty seriously here in Pittsburgh, the home of George Romero and where "Night of the Living Dead" and the original "Dawn of the Dead" were shot. (The shopping mall in the original is just a couple of miles from me.) I've just seen the '04 "DOTD" and have mixed feelings though more favorable than not. My first response was that the special effects getting better over the years is a mixed blessing -- you get that whiz-bang sense from seeing torsos chainsawed, but I think it makes directors a bit lazy in creating tension and fear.
I'm reminded of "Evil Dead 2," the Sam Raimi movie made on a shoestring budget that forced its creators to look for different, less extravagant ways of scaring people. I'd recommend it over this movie unless you're strictly a blood and gore fan. (And both movies have chainsaws!) If you like blood and gore, this movie made for you.
But this movie isn't without its jump-out-of-your-seat moments and when it has them, they are pretty tasty. There are nice touches like the dry erase board chess match and the snipe-the-celebrities game.
I came out of watching glad I'd seen it but more glad I hadn't paid $10 for it in a theater.
See all of you at the (human) food court at Monroeville Mall!