Movie Reviews
Now comes the long-anticipated remake of the 1978 classic “Dawn of the Dead”. (See the Great Movie Classics page.) The wait has made me consider all the dos and don’ts that I thought should be taken into context. I didn’t want this to be just a remake that is exactly like the original because, much like “Night”, “Dawn” should also not be tampered with. And this time, it wasn’t. It surprised me that a rookie director (making his debut) would take on such a challenge and even think of success. Zack Snyder (former commercial director) is quite intriguing as a newcomer. He was offered the job of directing “S.W.A.T”, but turned it down because the studio wouldn’t let him make it an ‘R’ rated film.
Wow, right? Yeah...that’s definitely the word that came out of my mouth after viewing the film. It’s a pure adrenaline rush from the opening moments to the last frame. Snyder uses a “28 Days Later-esque” style of editing, where the camera moves are rapid-fast and it is almost hard to see what’s going on.
Is it just me, or does it seem like Hollywood has had a high for zombie films lately? They’ve at least been attracted to the undead. Films like “Pirates of the Caribbean” have people who won’t die. “28 Days Later” was a reinvention of the zombie genre, and “House of the Dead” was a mockery of it. This new film is a “dawn” into great horror filmmaking. And wisely, Snyder did not feel the need to make this exactly like the original; this is the best remake of a horror film I think I have ever seen.
Romero’s original “Dawn” stunned audiences with its gore effects. Now, the gore is outdated, but the film is just as good. We now see how far technology has brought us when we can make a semi-truck back up into a rabid crowd of zombies and smash their heads on the back (which makes for one of the best killings in the film.) Even comedy is seen throughout the film. And this time I consider it justified. This small group of people is trapped in a mall surrounded by zombies, and a joke here or there lightens the tension, even for that brief moment. (I.e., when the group is searching through the mall, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is playing in the background.)
Altogether, “Dawn of the Dead” is the best horror film to come out of Hollywood for a long, long time. It’s better than “28 Days Later”, but isn’t valid for a higher score because the original is still the best. *** ˝