Today’s quick review: Dawn of the Dead. During the early stages of a zombie outbreak, a group of survivors converges on a shopping mall, where they hole up to wait for rescue. As the days go on with no sign of help, Kenneth (Ving Rhames), a no-nonsense cop, Ana (Sarah Polley), a widowed nurse, and Michael (Jake Weber), a TV salesman, step forward to lead the group and use their stockpile of resources to escape.
Dawn of the Dead is a zombie action movie from director Zack Snyder. Although it is a remake of the classic George A. Romero movie, Dawn of the Dead plays by different rules. The zombies are faster and more aggressive, the infection is only transferred via bite, and the tone is generally more serious, although there are moments of levity. The end result is a violent action movie with a solid setup and a balanced cast of survivors.
Dawn of the Dead’s appeal comes from its action. The zombie outbreak kicks off with a bang and doesn’t let up until Ana and the others get settled at the mall. Unlike older zombie movies, even individual zombies pose a threat, and the movie has a knack for orchestrating chaotic situations that give the characters only a thin chance of survival. Improvised weaponry and snippets of stylization round out the action.
The movie does nearly as well with its story. Although Dawn of the Dead does not break new ground with its characters, its themes, or its conflicts, it handles them with skill. The survivors have varied personalities and different roles to play, but none of them come across as caricatures. The threats to their safety are plausible in the context of the story, and they do not rely on the survivors to make unforced mistakes.
Dawn of the Dead is a solid pick for any fans of the gory, action-focused side of the zombie genre. The movie shares a lot of elements with other entries into the genre, and viewers who dislike what the genre has to offer will find nothing to change their minds. But Dawn of the Dead uses its elements with unusual skill, making it well worth a watch for anyone interested.
For a calmer and more focused zombie movie based on a similar premise, try the original Dawn of the Dead. For an action-oriented zombie movie with an even tighter plot, try Train to Busan. For a zombie comedy that goes for even more humor and stylization, try Zombieland. For a zombie action movie with similarly aggressive zombies and a farther-reaching plot, try World War Z.
[7.3 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363547/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for skilled story work and gory action.