Dawn of the Dead (2004) Review

Written by: Ash's missing hand   

Zack Snyder's remake of the George Romero classic uses the same premise. An unexplained disease or virus, spread by human bites, kills its victims and then resurrects them as zombies. The zombies then run wild, attacking healthy people, infecting them, etc. The only way to kill them is to shoot them in the head. These 2004 zombies run very fast, are smarter, and make decisions faster than the 1979 version.

The story begins with Ana (Sarah Polley) greeting a young girl who lives nearby. Anyone with a knowledge of horror know that something bad is going to happen to her. It does, the next morning she attacks Ans's boyfriend. Ana barely escapes with her life. Zombies now roam the streets, causing hysteria and neighborhoods burn. Ana eventually finds herself part of a small group barricaded in the local mall.

Among others in the group there is a cop named Kenneth (Ving Rhames), Michael (Jake Weber) is a decent guy who tries to make good decisions, Andre (Mekhi Phife) and his wife Luda (Inna Korobkina) who is great with child and ready to pop it out at any moment. the way the baby plot is played out is touching and horrifying. There is also the poor guy marooned on the roof of the gun shop across the street.

The 1979 version was trickier and smarter but the 2004 version is more skillful, slicker, and better acted than the original. This is a movie where you walk in expecting gore and blood and it delivers in a big way.