Zack Snyder's first - and so far best - film

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2010)

So the neighbour's kid comes into your bedroom in the early am, snarling a little more than an 8 year old should, should you be worried?
In fairness she did seem to be missing most of a lip, that's bound to create some sort of speech impediment. So poor Louis leans in just far enough to leave his neck exposed and...
Louis predictably enough (for a zombie movie) sparks up a little after death, and immediately takes a different interest in Ana, deciding that some shower action might be appropriate, only this time rip your living flesh from your body action.
Ana decides that enough of this relationship and kicks Louis to the kerb by jumping out the window and driving off, once outside she realizes that she isn't in Kansas anymore. At least I don't think this was filmed in Kansas, what do I know I'm not American.
Outside everything is in chaos, there are some awesome visuals in these first moments of realization, including a massive fuel station crash that still has impact even when you've seen the film half a dozen times like me.
Ana eventually reverses her car off an embankment and her lights go out...
And that's when the opening credits roll! Fast forward a little, Ana is now back on her feet, and she meets with other survivors, each with their own grim tales to tell. They all decide to head to the relative safety of the local mall. The initial crew are Ana, cop Kenneth (Ving Rhames), Michael (Jake Weber), and a pregnant couple.
Once in the mall their initial impediment comes in the form of some dipsh*t security guards who have decided that allowing others in will somehow compromise their own safety, this all changes when a new batch of survivors shows up and joins the party.
The new group of about 8 (from memory) include 2 wounded, obviously the gang haven't seen a zombie movie before so they don't see what's coming until it gets there.
Another new development is the sighting of another survivor across the road from the mall in a gunshop, after conversing by hand held whiteboard and binoculars they discover that the man's name is Andy, and that he is alone. Even though he is almost within shouting distance however, the sea of zombies in between makes it nigh impossible to simply catch up for a beer.
It is obvious that even though some are better equipped to handle the situation than others, there is no Arnie style hero among them that will single-handedly ward off the zombie hordes, nor a super-genius character who can devise an amazing cure (Pontypool?) or amazing escape. It is simply a bunch of random people thrust together through amazingly unfortunate events.
Most notable among the group though are two guys who couldn't be more dissimilar, Michael is loyal, quiet and sensible and extremely determined despite his background not suggesting any heroism,"I sell TVs at Best Buy". His antithesis is Steve, a smarmy, self-absorbed prick of a man who wants no part in anything even vaguely dangerous and is more than content sitting at the back of the room and throwing jibes around without ever being the least bit helpful.
Steve is a total w*nker but provides most of the funny in the film, so much so that I didn't actually want him to get what he really deserved, and Michael was so resourceful and selfless that you want him to make it out too, but for the opposite reasons. It's rare that a horror film takes the time to actually highlight the various personalities of the characters to an extent greater than "the hero", "the nerd", "the hot chick" and "the evil guy who will die horribly".
The ongoing discussions invariably return to the outside world; are there unaffected "safe" areas?; are there even other survivors?; and the overriding question remains should they stay in relative security or leave and see for themselves what is "out there"? Without spoilers, eventually the decision is sort of made for them, and the final 15 or so minutes is nothing short of awesome. The film has some amazing action sequences, some great gore effects and things move at a frantic pace. Say what you want about running zombies but in my view it is scarier to be chased by a foaming and spitting zombie that can do the 40 yard dash in a few seconds than a shuffling mummy-style thing. Obviously the zombies had the good sense to keep up their cardio, even in death.
For those who say that the dead can't run. They can't shuffle or walk either f*ckers! The film has a couple of amusing bits, but even in the face of zombie apocalypse it is fair to expect someone to crack a joke every now and then. In the main though it holds true to the tone set in the early going, escaping a flesh-hungry menace can bring you down just a little.
There is never a reason given for the outbreak in zombie-it is, and I maintain that if the movie is good then there doesn't ever need to be.
And this movie is verrrrry good.
When I originally watched it 6 or so years ago I remember thinking "that couldn't have been that good could it?" and I watched it again the next night. I was amazed to find that even after the second viewing I was just as blown away.
Final Rating - 9 / 10. Proof that remakes don't have to be simply lazy cash-cows. This is ferocious, adrenaline fuelled and original in its own way. Even though this is not particularly scary it is still a modern horror classic, and should form part of any discerning horror fan's DVD collection.
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