A cop, a nurse and a few stragglers are swarmed by the undead. Naturally, they head to the mall! It's there that they encounter zombies and self-righteous security guards, which is worse? They'll have to work together if they're going to survive the day!
Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead rips the title and some style from George Romero's classic zombie film of the same title, but that's about it. I recall very few specifics from Romero's 1978 masterpiece, but James Gunn's screenplay is more of a complete re-do than a re-make. The core concept, zombies at the mall, remains the same. The rest gets gutted and revamped. However, Snyder borrows heavily from Romero stylistically. The suspenseful camera-work, the grotesque zombies, some equally grotesque characters and some tasteful humor all meld to form a zombie film that anyone could enjoy. OK, almost anyone. By taking from the inspiration and genius behind Romero's classic, but delivering a whole new product, Snyder ensures a smashing success worthy of the praise its getting here.
Dawn of the Dead is both suspenseful and creepy from start to finish. An unsettling beginning and an equally eerie ending are held down by a solid, well-paced middle. Snyder uses all of the classic cinematographic techniques. The camera pans around, delaying the inevitable moment when the zombie jumps out of nowhere. Somehow this tried and true technique turns the predictable into the suspenseful. The conversion from human to zombie is sometimes unpredictable, never knowing when it's safe or when it's not. I was a little surprised that there weren't a lot of fake-out scenes, but Snyder keeps you on the edge of your seat with only the real deal. Remember, the film doesn't end until the credits end! The ending is exactly what it should have been, but I really don't want to spoil it by elaborating. Just watch it!
The character interactions in Snyder's Dawn of the Dead are a lot more complex than anyone would expect from a zombie flick. As is almost required in a horror film, likely enemies will become unlikely allies. But Snyder passes on the gore for a slightly deeper silver-screen psycho-analysis. There's the cathartic moment of a self-involved security guard who has the opportunity to see the error of his ways before serving his greater purpose. The personal losses of some will prove too much for them to handle, leading to outrageous and self-deprecating acts. The most dire circumstances will bring out the selflessness in some and the self-interest in others. Naturally, much of the character development is lost in the carnage, but might be worth a second thought.
Acting rarely, if ever, hurts a superficially exhilarating horror film. But the aggregate talent seems to help Dawn of the Dead. Ving Rhames is clearly the star of the show, as the cop that doesn't take crap from anyone. He's as convincing in his menacing stares as he is in his teddy-bear moments. Sarah Polley is as charismatic as she is hot. She's not the typical female protagonist, nor do I think she was meant to be. The characters are generally cast in shades of good and evil, but never in absolutes. Ultimately, this serves the ends of the film very well.
The carnage is interspersed with moments of true light-hearted comedy, but they're tracked with the acute awareness that misplacement could destroy the mood. Dawn of the Dead remembers that it is a horror film, but recognizes that humor can rise in the strangest of places. It's a human beings' natural defense mechanism to even the most adverse situations. I was disappointed but not surprised to see a slew of romantic interludes, but the collateral damage was minimal. A little sap for those that were dragged unwillingly to see it is a justifiable compromise that I'm willing to make. There just wasn't nearly enough sex or nudity, but I suppose it's tough to throw this in given the circumstances. (Oh, but there's more boobs during the credits, if that gives you more incentive to stick it through.)
The musical score was nothing spectacular, but the soundtrack was pleasantly surprising. I was pretty psyched to hear Johnny Cash and a few others that I hadn't expected. The gore is pretty mild compared to a lot of the 1970's Italian horror flicks. With the exception of a few zombies that were necessarily and eerily disgusting, most are little more than sickly looking humans. The flesh-eating is really minimal, so all but the extremely squeamish could probably make it through. Given that the language is relatively mild and the nudity is sparse, parents could probably let most teenagers watch it. I almost feel that the 'R' rating was applied to protect the film's reputation more than the audience.
It's been a long time since I've even seen Romero's Night of the Living Dead, but with Dawn of the Dead Snyder makes an excellent contribution to short-list of truly awesome zombie films. Get it before it gets you.