Dawn of the Dead (Remake, 2004) Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Written by: James Gunn
Pre-review: I saw the original a few years ago, and when I learned they were making a remake, I was excited. I must say I was not disappointed.
My Initial Reaction: "Wow.......this is one kick@$$ movie!"
What was good: Opening sequence was killer, it hooked me right in. Like my all-time fave horror movie Scream, this was a seamless blend of horror, action and comedy, which makes an awesome movie IMHO. The special effects were great, makeup was perfect.
Things that I liked: [SPOILER - highlight to read]: The bus scene, where they finally escaped the mall, anything that involved Andy, the gunshop owner, the three security guards, and Steve (Ty Burrell)
What was bad: They left little time at all for character development, and what little time they utilized seemed rushed and not well thought-out. Other than that, I can't think of anything
Things that bugged the heck out of me: Nicole and the dog
Original/Remake comparison: I thought that this was a suitable tribute to the original, but it distances itself enough to make it a good stand-alone movie. It was the original story with a modern twist.
Final: 9/10
I reccommend this to all horror fans
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Last edited by Strangelove on Mar 23rd, 2004 at 03:08 AM
[color=limegreen]out of the characters, I think I liked the security guards the best. [SPOILER - highlight to read]: CJ was a bastard at first, Bart was a bastard who got eaten, and Terry was the sympathetic young guy
I just watched Dawn of the dead 2004 film a second time. My brother and friend wanted to see it so i went for a second ride. Awesome movie!
Something I just picked up this 2nd time around though. At the very begining when Ana is in the hospital talking to the doctor, the doctor is on the phone trying to convience his buddy to go golfing with him and "steve". His friend is reluctant to going since "steve" is going. Is what you derive from that scene. It just so happens that there is a "Steve" at mall that is obnoxious and is golfing on the roof (;
Hmm...it's fun subtleties like that which make the movie worth repeated viewings.
Speaking of CJ, though, I thought that [SPOILER - highlight to read]: there wasn't enough of a transition from a-hole to hero; he should have done something noble halfway through to restore everyone's faith in him BEFORE he joined their team officially.
__________________ Evelle: "Balloons! Hey, these blow up into funny shapes 'n' all?"
Grocer: "Well, no...unless round is funny."
Well, this is the way I saw C.J. (easily my favorite character)..
[SPOILER - highlight to read]: When he had his ass handed to him on the rooftop, he knew that he was outnumbered, and that he had no choice but to work as part of the team. Gradually, he softened up. And of course by the end, he made the ultimate sacrifice, of course he had some choice words which was his trademark, and way of showing that he still never really was a "real hero". I'm cool with a reluctant hero, cuz it's his actions that count.
That said, I've been twice. I am sure I'll get the craving to go see it one more time before it's gone.
The movie was well made, but not nearly as strong, or well made as the original. The original was filled with social commentary and took tremendous talent and skill to make comprehendable and poignant. The remake was neat, fun, and entertaining, but nothing more. The character development was a minority compared to the other, shallower aspects of the film. If this is what you like in a zombie movie then you'll like this movie. If you want a good, strong film that will make you think then this movie will not satisfy your mental cravings.
That being said, the zombie baby was horrible to the point of being offensive. It didn't fit in a movie which was obviously meant to be taken seriously. It worked in Dead Alive because the whole movie was silly, and it almost made fun of itself with that scene. Dawn of the Dead just hurt itself with that scene, which served no purpose whatsoever other then being stupid.
II don't think that scene was stupid. i'm sure exactly what i think or what exactly to say, but I'll come up with something (likely long after this part of the conversation is dead and buried)
It's the the scenes stupidity actually, it really doesn't fit into the feel of the rest of the film. It was a serious film, and it is simply hard to take a zombie baby seriously.
Ah, now I know what to say to this. The zombie baby wasn't supposed to be taken as a serious threat to them. It was a sort of a personifcation of the evil of the virus. So low that it would strike at the most innocent of the living
Yeah, I know what is was symbolizing, but a zombie baby is still a bad idea. I know it wasn't meant to be taken as a serious threat, that's not what I meant by 'taken serously'. I just meant that it was too silly and ruined the mood of the film.
I went to see it last night and was quite impressed with the film, as I thought it would be poor.
Fave bit: The rifle on the roof
Funniest moment: The fat bird being wheeled in a wheelbarrow (I couldn't stop laughing at that)
Character most obviously a zombie, noticed way before any of the half-brained characters: Already mentioned fat chick, looking quite ill with shades of grey and green to her complexion.
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Mar 23rd, 2004 02:56 AM
