Land of the Dead

Today’s quick review: Land of the Dead. Years after a zombie outbreak caused the collapse of civilization, Pittsburgh has become one of the last bastions of humanity. Mr. Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) and his fellow elites live in luxury and security, while the poor eke out a living on the streets. But when Cholo (John Leguizamo), Kaufman’s top enforcer, goes rogue, Kaufman sends Riley (Simon Baker), a seasoned scavenger, to track him down.

Land of the Dead is a zombie action movie, the fourth from director George A. Romero. Land of the Dead depicts a world even more radically changed by the undead than its predecessors. Society has morphed to cope with the existence of zombies, and an uneasy truce exists between the wealthy and the poor. Imaginative world-building gives the movie a unique angle, but it is hampered by an awkward plot that never gets off the ground.

Land of the Dead goes the extra mile with its setting. Unlike Romero’s previous zombie flicks, the world is not just a crippled version of the modern one but something new. The daily facts of life in Pittsburgh, the details of the city’s security, and the power games Kaufman uses to stay on top are all promising ideas. The movie also explores zombie intelligence, with a smart zombie named Big Daddy (Eugene Clark) leading an attack on the city.

But these novel ideas are undermined by poor fundamentals. The characters do a good job of showing off the setting but do not give the story much to work with. Instead, the movie has to engineer conflict by pitting Cholo against Kaufman and then sending Riley, who only wants to away from the city, to clean up the mess. The action is serviceable, but the overuse of gore dulls some of its impact.

Land of the Dead is a movie that takes bigger risks than other zombie flicks, attempting to construct a world of its own to play in. Unfortunately, its gamble does not entirely pay off, and the crisp vision and compelling storytelling of Romero’s previous work is nowhere to be seen. Still, the combination of elaborate gore, a jumbled but still-entertaining plot, and some novel ideas make it a decent pick for the right fan.

For another brush with intelligent zombies, check out Army of the Dead. For another sci-fi movie set in a stratified society, try Snowpiercer, Daybreakers, Equilibrium, or Aeon Flux. For a violent, dystopian future with a similar attitude, try Escape from L.A..

[6.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418819/). I give it a 6.5 for a promising world and a weak story.

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