S_W's review of 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2008)

Title: Dawn of the Dead
U.S. Release Date: 19 March 2004
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Written by: James Gunn
Running Time: 101 minutes
Synopsis: After a Milwaukee zombie outbreak, a nurse (Sarah Polley), a cop (Ving Rhames), a gang member (Mekhi Phifer), a regular Joe (Jake Weber) and others take refuge in a shopping mall along with some jerk security guards. . . and flesh-eating corpses.
Cause of Outbreak: Unknown, but some supernatural type (according to Snyder)
Review: This film is probably my favourite horror remake ever, which is pretty impressive seeing as it's a remake of the second best zombie flick in cinematic history. What makes this remake different is that Snyder and Gunn took the original idea, modernized it, but made it their own. Usually, the makers will either go for a strict modernization without making it their own (the 'Psycho' and 'The Omen' remakes come to mind), or they'll leave the original ENTIRELY with almost nothing but a few references to relate it to the original (the 'Day of the Dead' remake, for example). When it comes down to it, almost everything about this film is pretty damn good. Even for an ensemble cast, the characters are all very well formed with their own distinct voices (helped by some fine acting). The music is great and often hilarious (Cheese rendition of Disturbed). Zack Snyder's eye for action proves to be more than substantial. And, finally, James Gunn's script perfectly fuses terror and humour in a way many horror writers strive for, but rarely achieve. Overall, it's a great action-horror/popcorn flick with some genuine scares and high-quality film-making.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Recommended? Yes, unless you're anti-remake and/or enjoyable modern horror and 'popcorn cinema.'
-AP3-