Etertaining gore-fest!

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2004)

This is a remake of the seminal zombie classic and the second zombie film of the year, so how does it match up to the original and indeed Shaun Of The Dead? Well in truth it gets thoroughly beaten hard by the other two but this is still a very enjoyable gore fest. The film is a loving homage to the original taking pretty much the same story and setting of a group of survivors holding up in a mall while thousands of peckish zombies try to break in and eat them. It's got a clichéd group of characters as is usually the case and lacks the heart of the original but this is a very polished and expertly crafted piece of schlock horror.
Cast wise there is no star name to headline and ride this like an ego-vehicle and stink up the place, this relies on unknowns and cult actors. In fact the biggest names in this are Vhing Rhames, Mekhi Phifer and Sarah Polley. All the cast are good and Jake Weber in particular is excellent. There is certainly a good mixture in the cast and each character is different. Director Zack Snyder handles things well and creates tension while letting lose when the action hits overdrive.
Like Dawn Of The Dead in 78, this film has superlative gore effects. In fact this was a superbly gruesome movie with plenty of zombie biting and flying entrails to keep the gore nuts happy. It is a key element for a film such as this and thankfully the effects are spot on. The film is entertaining and while it's not the best zombie film it has a great beginning that grabs the audience by the nuts and then does so again with the superb ending. ***½