Good Zombie Fun. Nothing More. Nothing Less.

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2017)

Zack Snyder's directorial debut is a decently entertaining & delightfully violent re-envisioning of George A. Romero's 1978 classic and while it keeps its premise similar to its source material, the film does take inspiration from Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later for its depiction of zombies. However, despite the 21st century upgrade, it's more or less forgettable.
The story of Dawn of the Dead follows a nurse who, following a zombie apocalypse, takes refuge inside a shopping mall along with a few human survivors. Surrounded by a swarm of flesh-eating zombies and running out of supplies, the group soon realises that they cannot stay there forever and devise a plan to escape the horde that's waiting for them outside the mall.
Written by James Gunn and directed by Zack Snyder's, the film simply lifts the plot of the original and places it in a contemporary setting, without the subtleties, themes or social commentary that made Romero's film a classic. This remake is a straightforward action horror that revels in violence & gore, and opts for a more visceral ride than a thought-provoking one, at which it succeeds.
Populated with a tad excess characters, which inhibit character development, the film still retains its sense of fun and packs a good dose of action. The vibrant colour palette, slow-mo technique & swift manoeuvring of camera add to its kinetic flair, but turning those reanimated corpses into fast & agile creatures doesn't make much of a difference. Performances are fine for the most part but there are no standouts.
On an overall scale, Dawn of the Dead doesn't bring anything new to the table yet qualifies as an acceptable remake that achieves what it set out to do. It may strike a better chord with those who haven't seen Romero's version but unlike that revered classic, there's nothing memorable about it. Opening on a thrilling note, falling flat in the middle & regaining some interest in the epilogue, this remake is good zombie fun. Nothing more, nothing less.