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Diary of the Dead US Release |
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Dawn of the Dead (2004) |
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Apr 01, 2005 at 12:00 AM |
 High-octane remake that drops the satire of the original but piles on the action
It's a full blown zombie holocaust; civilisation is breaking down and the zombies are taking over. A band of survivors head for the mall
The horror genre certainly has its fair share of remakes and sequels though the announcement that the second in Romero's Dead trilogy was going to get the remake treatment was a surprise. The Night of the Living Dead remake was quite good but it didn't do very good business, and the truly awful House of the Dead had just bombed so it did seem zombie films were not a good bet financially. Artistically you had to ask why? surely DOTD78 said everything it needed to say, it's a most accomplished film that needs no further embellishment. However, when the 10 minute, break-neck intro of DOTD04 gives way to the credits, courtesy of renowned title designer Kyle Cooper and title tune, courtesy of a Johnny Cash, it is obvious that there's "no half-assing" from director Zach Snyder with this remake - or more accurately, this re-imagining.
The basic premise is the same but the execution and tone, not to mention the modern look, are very different. However admirable the original's vision and, well, originality were, its look and feel do plant it firmly in the 70s, and some of the production is quite budget. Here the remake certainly benefits; it is ultra slick with great make-up and effects and the direction is very tight. At times, it perhaps veers a little too close to the polished MTV look of much modern horror stuff, but it doesn't make the same mistake as Scream style fodder by holding back on the gore. DOTD04 (especially the director's cut) does contain some brutal, violent gore; lots of exploding heads, graphic zombie biting and - always taboo - a zombie baby. Rumour has it the original script even had the zombie baby kill its mother, though this was toned down. Probably a good thing - I don't think that's a great idea, and I bet the best baby animation / animatronics effects would still have made the scene look stupid.
The shopping mall / mindless consumer angle is not really played up in this remake. The mall is incidental rather than central here, it could equally have been set in a barricaded office block or school (now, there is an interesting idea). There is still plenty of humour though it is rather less subtle - like the rooftop game of shooting zombies that look like celebrities - beautiful. There is also an excellent sequence documenting how the mall survivors pass the time; watching DVDs, playing basketball, working out, shagging - all to a big-band, jazz style soundtrack (which is actually a schmaltzy cover of thrash metal band Disturb's "Down With The Sickness"). Again - beautiful. How easily people adapt and cope with even the most unimaginable of circumstances.
The zombies themselves look terrific - and so many of them. With the benefit of a bigger budget and better technology DODT04 has some huge scenes. An explosion in the middle of a horde of zombies is superbly shot from above showing a wave of flattened zombies rippling out from the centre - a great cinematic moment.
The fast pace of this film sweeps you along without giving you chance to think, though looking deeper there are some qualms: running zombies? I'm inclined to forgive them this breach since it's executed so well, but I don't care too much for the superhuman zombie; they have to have some weaknesses otherwise humankind just doesn't have a chance. Creakier is the idea that the zombie infection is only spread by bites. This point is made stated quite clearly not only by individuals discussing it, but also by two characters killed by gunshots - not in the head - who don't return to life. I really think director Zack Snyder has missed a trick here:
1. Logistically an army of bitten infected could not bring down civilization - wouldn't most victims be torn apart and so not leave enough body behind to become a zombie? The spread by bite scenario must assume that each new zombie is created when a human gets attacked and bitten - and then escapes. Surely this must only account for, say, 5-10% of zombie attacks. In which case why are there so many of them?
2. Even if you did miraculously escape a pack of zombies you would still need to be in pretty good shape to pose a threat as a turned zombie, i.e. without arms or legs.
3. A dead body getting back up again is just such a fantastic, ghoulish image (not to mention one central to zombie lore). Snyder's ruling out all those wonderful scrabbling out of graves / off mortuary slab / out of car wreck opportunities.
If a sequel gets made - and judging by the success of the original it has to be a strong possibility - I think there will be some sneaky plot patching to include the "recently deceased" as zombies: Ana was plain wrong with her theory, and actually those shot people did get it in the brain. Something like that. And who knows, maybe as the zombies age they will run less and shamble more.
Not quibbles - queries:
- How does CJ go from being so unhelpful and selfish at the beginning to a hero who ultimately sacrifices himself?
- How come there are so many zombies on that island?
- Why doesn't Andy, with his store full of ammunition and nothing to do all day, take out more zombies?
- How come they are all such good shots?
Favourite Scene:
The flattening of the sea of zombies.
Favourite Quote:
"Rosie O'Donnell! Tell him to shoot Rosie!"
Film Rating:
4.5/5
Adherence to THE LORE:
2/5
Low. They are bite victims rather than reanimated dead, they run, they don't eat dogs. However the good news is that the zombies don't speak and they're not clever.
See Also
Need more DODT action? Here's a fan fiction page that is pretty good
DawnoftheDeadFiction
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quibbles
Written by Guest on 2005-06-26 13:43:46
Well with regards to the island, you dont actually know where they landed, i mean for all we know they could have travled to another coastal area not an island, and to be honest without the captain there to help they cant really know how to sail if you wanna get petty,lol.
Andy shooting zombies all day would mean for every one he shot 4 more come along from the noise (as is said in the film) and so its all his fault there are so many there in the first place im guessing.
Regards to the great shots, well im guessing as several are mall cops (ex police)they have some experience, and one is a police man, we dont know what the other people do, i mean the nurse doesnt shoot much, nor do the other women of the film (bar the truck driver and she was at point blank range).
And as for andy becoming such a nice guy i aint got a clue, but as a psychologist maybe the whole concept of a hopeless situation got to him and thought better to go out fighting that as a prick.
Slayer out | they are americans
Written by Guest on 2005-12-20 15:47:35
and therefore automatically know how to shoot. | Bite scenario
Written by Guest on 2006-11-04 01:36:37
Supposing the source is an infection spread by bites, as this film supposes, I don't see a problem with large numbers of zombies.
Obviously, patient zero would not be recognized as a zombie. He would be considered ill and taken to a hospital (as was referenced early in the movie). At the hospital 1-3 staff would be infected, possibly more, and they would recieve little treatment for such superficial wounds.
They would infect their close family and/or friends. The bitten would likely scatter, and each would infect others before it became apparant what the situation was. A slower, more gradual build-up of zombies would occur, but it would eventually be recognized.
This would lead to a situation similar to the start of the movie, where there are many living people, but they are scattered and panicing, and zombies (lone or in small groups) kill them. In small groups, zombies could not pull apart a corpse (why would they, the greatest source of meat, the gut, is avaliable) and would not be able to consume it fully before reanimation. Thus the ranks would swell. Only in large cities or when most humans have been killed would there be large groups of zombies shredding their food.
Even when a large group assaults a large group of humans, such as in a refugee center, only those immediately around each victim would stop pursuing the still-fleeing others to eat, effectively making it the same as the small group scenario. The rest would pursue the fleeing survivors, leaving the building eventually overrun and flooded with flesh-hungry corpses.
In the end, only when a single (or small group) of people were faced with a large group of zombies, as seen in Shaun of the Dead among others, would there be sufficient competition among zombies as to rip apart their victim. Even then, a zombie which retains an arm is still a thread, and can bite and infect a human. As part of a group, they may be even more effective, as the survivors (cornered, I would assume, so it could catch them) would be aiming at head level, not at floor level, where this zombie's head would be. | Jorge
Written by Guest on 2006-12-25 07:37:31
Andy's is a coming of age kinda thing. Just because he seems like a jerk in the beginning, doesn't mean he is totally without mores. At first he was just trying to protect himself and his security guards. Latter, the rest of the group was part of "his team" and therefore warrented the heroics. | the zombie island theory?
Written by Guest on 2007-03-23 01:38:52
It seem to be that closing credit seem to be an omage the the movie Zombie (aka Zombi 2).
If had to take a guess. I would say the infection start on that island.
The island could have been a remote reseach center of some sort time that either created, altered, discover, or uncoverd the virus.(could it related to one form Night of Living Dead?)
Either by accedent or deliberate means, one or more person(s) became a zero and quickly infect the others island.
one person get off the island with the zombie head as proof of what is happening(just like the opening of Zombie/Zombi2)
Unfornately, he is infected and most likely fell into the river.
once on shore, the pandemic begins | An Interesting Scenario, Although Stupid
Written by Guest on 2007-05-11 21:23:10
In regards to the island, it could just be an island on a small inlet in an ocean-bound river. Like in "War Games," or in the Hamptons. It's just another community. Nothing special.
However, I do agree that it would have been a better use of time for Andy (who owns the gun store) to spend all day, every day taking out the walking dead. In this scenario, there are only so many humans on the planet, and it can be scaled down for major cities. Zombie populations would grow exponentially at first, eventually flatlining as more and more people were killed, died, or turned. In several years, as the bodies would begin to decompose and individual performance levels drop amongst the zombie population, the numbers would begin to wind down, until eventually they are only a dwindling minority - It's a bell population curve. | Written by Guest on 2007-06-08 21:44:55
yeah they are too scary to watch and also they are horror to stay alive
| zombie man
Written by Guest on 2008-12-29 15:30:23
how did it all start? did it start with to much nuclear waste or something?that always bothers me that happens (they do not tell how it all started) | April 1st
Written by Guest on 2009-06-02 04:21:29
As to CJ he seems like a guy that is in a crapy job and maybe never had many people who actually needed him or gave a crap about him. I know two people who had similar dispositions until they became part of a group/team and then they blossomed into worthwhile humans who would bend over backward to help those they trusted.
Andy shooting all day every day would have deteriorated physically and mentally. Yes Zombies are the plague and the bane of all Man kind but they still look human. The Nazis discovered that even their most hard core enforcers could murder only for so long before they became mentally unfit for anything. No matter how low you place a given group on your ethical food chain at the core (unless you are a murderous psychopath) you still see some one like yourself. Physically his shoulders would have given out. Even with modern firearms where recoil is reduced through various mechanical means the kick of a rifle becomes painful eventually. Read an account of the defense of Rourke's Drift during Britain's war with the Zulu Empire some time and you'll see what I mean. They were firing breach loading, rolling block Martini Henry rifles with wooden stocks and metal butt plates but only for one day and one night. By morning many of the men could barely move their arms and I've read that some had resorted to binding a cloth pad to their shoulders to absorb some of the shock. (Speaking for hoards out for blood: Don't mess with the Zulus unless you bring a hell of a lot of bullets and have an escape rout planned.)
The shooting ability of the survivors is a slight sticking point but look at it this way. Darwin had one thing that is beyond dispute in all of his research: The survival of the fittest. Those who were poor shots would have been removed from the population early on. Therefore when you have this group hole up in the mall they have all proven their ability with weapons. Also, note the use of shotguns. While a shotgun blast will not sunder a barn door from five feet away or even farther it will give you more lead in a general strike zone. Eight or ten .30 cal. projectiles hitting an area the size of my hand is more likely to sever really important stuff inside the body than a 9 mm or even a .45 cal. round.
The island is a no brainer. (Pardon the pun.) Maybe Kenneth, Ana and the rest of the gang were not the only people to think of going to an island. And maybe some of the residents of said island were already infected before any of the evacuees reached it. We never actually see how many zombies were there. We just see a swarm of them coming down to the dock.
Where did the infection start? I have never liked the idea that it was some kind of chemical. A virus seems more likely but don't viruses need the circulatory system to run for them to spread and stay active? I liken the infection more to an out break of dysentery. A parasite in the system that can actually move on its own like an ameba swimming through your body fluids and serving to maintain its home and feed itself. This organism takes over body functions by acting like a substitute for the brain by co-opting the central nervous system and naturally the origin of nerve pulses is in the brain so when you destroy the brain you destroy the control. They eat people because the organism recognizes human flesh as its food source and method of propagation. (What can I say? I've had some boring jobs and long commutes to think about things like this.) |
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