Dawn of the Dead (March 19/04)

With films like 28 Days Later and now Dawn of the Dead, it would seem as though the days of the slow-moving zombie are over. Instead of lumbering along at a determined pace, today's zombies sprint after their victims like rabid dogs. Which is fine, really; there's something far more terrifying about a virtually unstoppable being that's incredibly fast and ferocious. But still, those charming zombies of yesteryear - what with their insatiable need to feast on brains - remain a vital part of the whole zombie mythos, though it does seem as though it might be a while until we see them again.

Dawn of the Dead kicks off with a fantastic opening sequence, featuring Ana (Sarah Polley) encountering two zombies in the form of her husband and young daughter. After fleeing her chaotic neighborhood, Ana hooks up with a grizzled cop named Kenneth (Ving Rhames) and the two head out in search for help. They encounter a trio of survivors - Michael (Jake Weber), Andre (Mekhi Phifer) and his very pregnant girlfriend Luda (Inna Korobkina) - who are heading towards the only safe refuge around, the mall.

In true horror tradition, the first thing the gang does when they arrive at the mall is split up (you know, to check everything out). It's fairly clear that Dawn of the Dead is going for a more contemporary horror vibe, though the self-referential stuff is thankfully kept to a minimum (an appearance by legendary cult figure Tom Savini is one notable exception). While the film is undeniably quite entertaining throughout, it never quite lives up to the amazingly intense first reel. There's something awfully ominous about the idea of waking up in your own bed, only to discover that your daughter is a blood-thirsty monster. Unfortunately, the remainder of the movie plays out like a standard horror flick, with that apocalyptic feeling never allowed to resurface.

The comparatively light-hearted nature of the majority of Dawn of the Dead is exacerbated by the fact that there are just too many sequences featuring the characters standing around talking. And it's not even the kind of dialogue that allows us to get to know these people; it's mostly small talk. There are long sections in which we don't see a zombie - in which we instead watch the characters chat - when what we really want is a sequence featuring someone getting ripped apart by the undead. The so-called zombie baby, promised in the film's trailer, is emblematic of the film's refusal to take risks. One would hope such a creation would be running around biting the ankles of hapless victims, but instead, it's glimpsed for a second and then shot offscreen.

The cast, comprised of many familiar faces (Max Headroom even pops up!), does a better-than-expected job of holding our interest through some of the more talky sequences. Though Polley is the last person one would expect to see in a trashy horror flick, she turns a potentially dull character into someone we're genuinely rooting for. Rhames is playing his now trademarked bad-ass character, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (c'mon, who wouldn't get a kick out of watching Marsellus Wallace blast zombies with a shotgun?) And Ty Burrell is effective in the obligatory wise-ass role, though his resemblance to Bruce Campbell borders on disturbing (why not just hire ol' Bruce?)

As far as recent zombie movies go, 28 Days Later still remains the best - although in all fairness, Dawn of the Dead is surprisingly decent, especially compared to another recent horror remake (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, anyone?)