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Fast-moving 'Dead' enliven remake
Jake Weber, Sarah Polley, Mekhi Phifer and Inna
Universal Studios/AP
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber
MPAA rating: R for strong horror violence and gore, language and sexuality
But George Romero's 1978 film -- with its low-budget looks and no-name actors -- had something to say. The classic portrayal of zombies stumbling and bumbling through a shopping mall -- Monroeville Mall, to be exact -- stood as metaphor for mindless consumers. And in case you didn't get the symbolism, the protagonists barricaded inside got to wonder aloud why these undead people would return to the mall, coming up with answers like "it's instinct," and "this must have been a special place to them."
The new "Dawn" keeps those sentiments but doesn't freshen them. There's no attempt to take the social commentary in the original -- which included speculations on race and class that were of their time in the late '70s -- and update it to reflect 21st-century fears or problems.
But if those nagging egghead issues are none of your concern -- and you like lots of blood and guts seasoned with a liberal dose of humor -- this is a movie for you. In mixing Romero's familiar story with agile, speedy zombies straight out of last year's "28 Days Later," "Dawn of the Dead" comes up with a concoction that isn't as inventive as either of its predecessors but manages to be darn fun in its own right.
There's lots to entertain fans of the original "Dawn," from cameo appearances by Pittsburgher and movie-gore-effects master Tom Savini as a cop who demonstrates how to kill the zombies, and Ken Foree, the hero of the original "Dawn," who gets to reprise his famous line, "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth," this time as a televangelist.
The zombies here aren't as comical as Romero's, although the "mall music" recalls the spirit of the chipper original score. A quirky Asian instrumental rendition of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" plays merrily at one point, while a Muzak version of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" accompanies one of the survivors as he travels through the bowels of the mall.
The appearance of Sarah Polley -- amazing in indie films such as "The Sweet Hereafter" and "My Life Without Me" -- as a fierce and resourceful nurse gives the film some clout, as does the impressive Ving Rhames as the police officer you always want on your side. Comic relief comes from Ty Burell as the caustic metrosexual who doesn't want to muss his hair battling zombies. The acting is uniformly good, but this is one fast-moving flick, with little time for relationships to build in a way that doesn't feel manufactured. The zombie attacks begin within minutes of the film's opening. Director Zack Snyder never lets momentum drop, whether he's resorting to cheap but genuine scares or interludes played for laughs.
The original lets us imagine what might happen after the movie ends. The remake does not. So much the worse. But this is, after all, Hollywood's version. Keep that in mind, and enjoy.
