Today’s quick review: Dawn of the Dead. As Philadelphia descends into chaos during a zombie outbreak, Stephen (David Emge), Peter (Ken Foree), Fran (Gaylen Ross), and Roger (Scott Reiniger) steal a helicopter and fly west in search of a safe location to stay. The group settles on a shopping mall infested with zombies and begins the dangerous process of clearing the place out so they can scavenge for food, weapons, and other supplies.
Dawn of the Dead is a classic zombie action movie from director George A. Romero. A spiritual sequel to Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead depicts the days and weeks after a zombie outbreak, as the survivors work out new ways to live and the government faces turmoil and collapse. The movie features a huge amount of zombies, plenty of gore, and a fairly engaging plot, but its odd tone will not suit everyone.
Dawn of the Dead strikes a very different tone from other zombie movies, including its predecessor. The zombies are more of a logistical problem than a practical threat. They are slow and not very aggressive, to the point where they are only a danger when a character is negligent or caught badly off-guard. This, coupled with the cornucopia of supplies in the mall, allows the characters to kick back and have some fun.
Even though the overall stakes are lower than other zombie flicks, Dawn of the Dead still has moments of danger. The questions of where to go, what to do, and how to recover from a couple of costly mistakes give the movie plenty of drama. The choreography is not that compelling, thanks mainly to the sluggish nature of the zombies, but the sheer number of zombies is impressive, and there is some good action when circumstances align.
Overall, Dawn of the Dead is an odd pick that has plenty of upshot for the right viewer. The logistics of the zombie outbreak, the sometimes playful attitude of the survivors, and a pinch of social commentary on shopping malls all make for a unique kind of appeal. However, anyone looking for raw drama or tense action will find it a little uneven. Give it a shot if you are a zombie fan; otherwise approach with caution.
For a more condensed movie with a similar style of action, try the original Assault on Precinct 13. For a gory action movie with even more satire, try Death Race 2000. For a zombie comedy that explores similar themes in more depth, try Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead. For a simpler and more horror-oriented zombie movie from the same director, try Night of the Living Dead.
[7.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for carving out a new segment of the genre.