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Dawn of the Dead

Starring: Sarah Polley, Jake Weber
Director: Zach Snyder
Genre: Horror
Year: 2004
Rating: 2 / 5

By the very nature of the term “remake,” it is implied that some original piece of work is being updated and redone for a new audience or a new generation. As such, it is only logical that Dawn of the Dead, the 2004 update of the George A. Romero “classic,” would be indebted to its predecessor. After all, even though twenty-six years passed between films, the special effects improved by leaps and bounds, and the zombies underwent a serious makeover, the 2004 film still owes plenty to its founding father. The film still features a world gone mad at the hands of roving bands of zombies, with man’s last refuge being a mall, that timeless bastion of suburbia. What I did not expect was that the film would seem so derivative of 28 Days Later.

Just as in the original, we are immediately thrown into a landscape where things are just beginning to slide out of control. We watch as Ana (Sarah Polley) goes about her daily duties as a nurse, listening as background reports begin discussing the unknown epidemic slowly spreading across town. When she wakes up the next morning, her world is on fire and she must run for her life. Her neighbors and loved ones are tearing through the streets like homicidal maniacs, killing and feasting at every opportunity. She hops in her car and heads for the highway, but the bedlam overtaking the city soon forces her to seek refuge in the oddest of places – the mall.

Joining Ana at the mall are a band of survivors including Michael (Jake Weber), Andre (Mekhi Phifer), and Kenneth (Ving Rhames). Hoping to find safety at the mall, the survivors are forced to deal with a band of power-mad security guards, roaming zombies, and a situation that is gradually worsening. As the group methodically secures the mall and the restless undead begin to crowd around outside, the weary fighters decide to make a push for safety. Life in the mall is no life at all, so they must escape from it and escape from all the madness. With circumstances causing the survivors to drop off one by one, time is limited, and a run for freedom is the only option remaining.

Dawn of the Dead, as it has been “re-imagined” by director Zach Snyder, is a slight improvement over Romero’s 1978 original, if only because moviemaking and technology have made significant advances. I only wish I had been afforded the opportunity to digest Romero’s work when it was first released, for its impact then was surely greater than the campy aura it exudes today. That being said, the scariest and creepiest parts of 2004’s Dawn of the Dead all seem to be lifted directly from 2003’s 28 Days Later. The zombie behavior, so radical in that film, merely feels repetitive here. This is not to say that Dawn does not feature its share of chilling moments, only that it offers little in terms of originality.

2004 also introduces us to a significantly upgraded cast, as the wooden acting in evidence in the 1978 effort has thankfully disappeared. Independent film veteran Sarah Polley makes one of her first forays into mainstream fare with a dash of spunk, while Jake Weber signs on to play the sensitive male role that is a staple in modern films. Michael Kelly oozes sleaze as one of the malls security guards, but he soon earns his stripes with unexpected acts of bravery. Even Ving Rhames, who seems a long way away from his star-making turn in Pulp Fiction, manages to earn a few smiles as a cop who has seen too much. Dawn of the Dead is a definite improvement over the vast majority of horror films which make their way to the big screen, but that does not mean that this update could not have been so much more.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence, gore, and language.
Running Time: 97 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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