Reviews of Dawn of the Dead 2004
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Remakes are a fickle thing and I usually really don't like them. This isn't so much a remake as a cover, an interpretation of a genre classic transported to a modern setting. And that's the main reason why I don't really mind this and actually found it rather entertaining.
Romero's original was, apart from being a full fledged zombie horror fest, a social critique on commercialisation and capitalism. It commented on these things through dialogue, but mostly through its symbolic…
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The best zombie film ever made?
It has to be pretty close. It certainly has the best opening half hour of any zombie film ever made. There are moments of pure genius from Zach Snyder.
This is a rare thing, a remake that is better than the original.
Yes, it doesn't have as much character development as the original, but we get BLOOD!! AND LOADS OF FUCKING FAST ZOMBIES AND SHIT.
It's brilliant.
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When it comes to horror remakes, the legendary directors of the genre usually see their original visions get pissed on. With Wes Craven it was 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot and with John Carpenter is was Rob Zombie's bold but ultimately awful remake of Halloween in 2007. Fortunately, George A. Romeo has had better luck with updates of his classics. His 1973 intelligent but extremely cheap looking horror, The Crazies, was in dire need of a make-over and…
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Fast paced and exciting, this is a worthy remake of the classic.
Zombies doing everything a zombie should, interwoven with some dark humour and spattered with good performances.
There may be nothing inventive about this movie, but this is an enjoyable watch and with a surprisingly emotional ending it encompasses everything that's good about the zombie sub-genre.
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Might well be the last great Zack Snyder film in my eyes (even though it is his first feature). After Watchmen and Suckerpunch I haven't got high enough hopes for Man of Steel next year but who knows!
Dawn of the Dead was a classic in the 70's and still lives up to the new standards held high by The Walking Dead on AMC and this 2004 remake is certainly not a let down. I had previously stayed away not… -
Definitely one of the better remakes and zombie movies I have seen in a long while. Dawn of the Dead takes the Romero movie, introduces the zombies, then goes off to be its own film. The opening is haunting and it doesn't have the stale happy Hollywood ending you would expect. I actually quite enjoyed the cinematography and characters in this film, which is something that usually is lacking in typical horror films. Although the film isn't totally original it…
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OK, this has its flaws ("I need to rescue Chips") and some of the characters aren't given any time (step forward the hot blonde who appears out of nowhere to have sexy time with the cliched arsehole) but it is really enjoyable and has one of the most visually stunning openings I've ever seen.
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Because of this film, when the zombie apocalypse occurs, I will head to my local mall and reside there. I may let in a couple females so I can repopulate the earth. I shall have fun eating from the food court, playing the arcade games, and shooting the zombies from the roof. I await this event eagerly.
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This is the movie that made me just stop blindly hating modern remakes before seeing it for myself. I wanted to hate it from the moment I heard it was being made. Remaking the greatest movie ever made? Blasphemy. I ended up loving it though. They did what I think good remakes do...you take the central idea (ie zombies / mall) and then make your own movie.
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As horrific, spectacular and bloody satisfying as a zombie film can be. The script oozes dark humor, attitude and wit, and benefits greatly from a wonderful ensemble cast (Sarah Polley! Ty Burrell!). The production values are superb; Zack Snyder's stylistic devices are in check, enriching the film without turning it into a videoclip (300, I'm looking at you).
Oh, and it features what is probably the best first half hour of ANY zombie flick ever made. Simply a must.