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Dawn of the Dead [HD DVD] [2004] [US Import]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Are you ready to get down with the sickness? Movie logic dictates that you shouldn't remake a classic, but Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead defies that logic and comes up a winner. You could argue that George A. Romero's 1978 original was sacred ground for horror buffs, but it was a low-budget classic, and Snyder's action-packed upgrade benefits from the same manic pacing that energized Romero's continuing zombie saga. Romero's indictment of mega-mall commercialism is lost (it's arguably outmoded anyway), so Snyder and screenwriter James Gunn compensate with the same setting--in this case, a Milwaukee shopping mall under siege by cannibalistic zombies in the wake of a devastating viral outbreak--a well-chosen cast (led by Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, and Mekhi Phifer), some outrageously morbid humor, and a no-frills plot that keeps tension high and blood splattering by the bucketful. Horror buffs will catch plenty of tributes to Romero's film (including cameos by three of its cast members, including gore-makeup wizard Tom Savini), and shocking images are abundant enough to qualify this Dawn as an excellent zombie-flick double-feature with 28 Days Later, its de facto British counterpart. --Jeff Shannon


When there's no more room in hell...
Review date: 2008-10-24 Rating: 8 out of 10

I love this film, it shouldn't really be compared to the original as it is it's own film and should be considered in that respect.
The first scenes of zombie action are amazing, they are quite shocking and just consider how you would react to witnessing this sort of thing going on!
I never get tired of watching this film and after seeing it several times on tv I finally got around to buying the dvd and was impressed with the extras included, if you are a fan there is plenty on there to keep things interesting.

It's a pity that others in the series such as Land of the Dead were such a terrible disappointment!

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Reviews


A cliched try at a zombie film
Review date: 2008-07-24 Rating: 6 out of 10

I was really disappointed with this film. Everyone else seems to be comparing it to the original (which I haven't seen) and then basing it on it's originality to the original. But I'm going to base it on this version only. I did enjoy the zombie scenes. I thought they were perfectly gory and full of blood which is always good in this type of film. But the characters were so cliched! The guy Michael... how can the creators of this film try to pull him off as a hero? It just isn't happening. The hair doesn't work, the body doesn't work and the 'good guy in that stable job' attitude shows through way too much! And especially towards the end when he's standing on the pier with things blowing up in the background holding a gun... it's laughable! It looks ridiculous. And when they're sat in the boat and you see one guy sitting there with the American flag blowing in the breeze! I hate that and it looks stupid. And then another cliche... the boat drifting off into the sunrise.

The annoying American that makes everyone hate Americans was too in your face and too annoying. Thank God he got blown up. The plot didn't show any substance. We didn't know why they were zombies but amazingly, the nurse managed to know that when people are bitten, they tend to die then come back to life... no kidding!!!! Shocker!

If you want to watch a good zombie film I don't think anything will beat Resident Evil. It has a decent plot, a believable storyline and some good acting without cliches. This was just... awful in my opinion.

The best remake I have seen.
Review date: 2008-04-26 Rating: 8 out of 10

I very much prefer this to the original, better in every way except the fact it is a remake.
The opening is truly excellent and throws the viewer straight in, from there it is a bit of a roller coaster for the first act. It eventually slows down to let the drama really breath before the third act where it picks up pace again.

Zombie Blasting Mayhem
Review date: 2008-03-24 Rating: 8 out of 10

A nurse called Anna returns home after a days work at the local hospital, makes love to her husband and goes to sleep. She is woken when a girl who lives in the same road, comes into their bedroom and bites her husband. Despite her best efforts he dies and becomes a zombie. Anna escapes in her car, crashes and loses consciousness. When she awakes she teams up with a cop (Kenneth), a middle aged man (Michael), a crook (Andre) and his pregnant wife (Luda), who break into a shopping mall to seek refuge. What follows is a load of zombie blasting mayhem. The zombies in the film are like the people infected with the rage virus in '28 Days Later' as they can run and they look human. I don't know if this is as good as the original as I have never seen it but this film is a damn good way to spend a Friday night.

Excellent effort
Review date: 2008-03-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

Most of us shudder at the idea of making a remake of what could be considered a classic whether it be a song or a film. It's refreshing to write that a very good job has been done on this version of Dawn of the Dead.

Whilst some people may argue that the characters are given less time in this than the original to develop, the whole notion of the crying female doesn't exist in this film. That was one aspect of the original I really didn't like - the lead female was portrayed as a feeble terrified woman. In this version Ana shows herself to be more than capable of looking after herself. This may just be a reflection of the times in which the resepective films were made however.

Anyway, I returned from the cinema having watched Diary of the Dead and thought I'd give this a go (had bought the other half it for Christmas and I hadn't gotten around to watchng it). I was pleasently surprised. This is actually a very watchable film with some likable characters.

Ving Rhames plays the main action man of the film, the tough copper Kenneth. While for the most part he's very much out for himself (perhaps understandably) so he can reach his brother, he bonds with certain members of the group, in particular the one man he doesn't meet until late on in the film (Andy the gun store owner). Andy is really the only member of the group Kenneth shows any loyalty towards when the group decide to break for freedom. He also takes willingly a backfoot in the leadership of the group which surprised me both with casting and character. If anyone was the leader, I'd have thought it'd be Ving Rhames as a hardened police officer.

The surprising natural leader of the group is Michael (Jake Weber). Michael has been bogged down in life by a series of failed marriages and dead end careers. At the time of the zombie outbreak, he's a TV salesman. His natural leadership both serves to motivate the group (in particular the defensive CJ) and also alienate him. Some members of the group would rather follow an experienced police officer (Kenneth) than a TV salesman. Utilmately however, it's Michael who takes subtly takes control and makes the decisions. In this sense, his character is redeemed. His opinion about his failed life up until that point is forgotten and he becomes the hero of the story in many ways. We learn more about Michael's background than any other and he's certainly the main character who is allowed to develop.

Ana, the main female, I liked as mentioned because she is certainly not the crying female that I expected from the original. Ana is a nurse and an asset to the group. She also becomes a sort of motivation for Michael to take control. Romance is hinted at between the two. I'm not a fan of lovey dovey stuff (especially in a zombie film) and this is dealt with in a poignant subtle sense. I found Ana to be a likable character, and in a way found myself hoping it would work out for her and Michael (but this is a zombie film...)

So, those are the main characters but what about the plot? Most of you will probably be familiar with the plot however for those who aren't familiar with it; Ana is a nurse who returns home from work to find that the dead have come back to life. Terrified, she flees, meeting up with Kenneth and joining another group to take refuge in a shopping mall. As their group expands, they decide to wait for their death in the mall, or to make a break for freedom.

All in all, this is a very watchable (and in some cases, fun) film. It has its own touches of black humour and enough gore/action to keep those loyal to Romero's version amused. Whilst the main characters do differ from the original, they are still very likable in their own ways and made this film for me all the more enjoyable.

It's certainly one I would watch again, and I would certainly recommend it.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ving Rhames
Ty Burrell
Mekhi Phifer
Sarah Polley
Jake Weber

Creators:
Sarah Polley (Primary Contributor)
Ving Rhames (Primary Contributor)
Armyan Bernstein (Producer)
Dennis E. Jones (Producer)
Eric Newman (Producer)
Marc Abraham (Producer)
Michael D. Messina (Producer)
George A. Romero (Writer)
James Gunn (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
EAN: 0025193002624
Binding: HD DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: AC-3, Colour, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen,
Release date: 2007-08-28
Universal product code (UPC): 025193002624
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Running time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2004-03-19
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: French (Dubbed)

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