Review: Dawn of the Dead (** 1/2)

DAWN OF THE DEAD
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2


Playing like a cross between a National Rife Association ad and a rip-off of
28 DAYS LATER, DAWN OF THE DEAD is actually a remake of the 1978 film of the
same name. As an extended teaser, the first ten minutes of the movie were
shown recently on national television. This was a brilliant marketing
strategy since this beginning segment of mayhem and death is the only
consistently satisfying part of the picture. Most of the movie has as much
dead air as dead bodies. The movie clearly wants to ride on the successful
coattails of 28 DAYS LATER, another zombie flick. It is even shot and
edited in the same grainy and jumpy style. But, while 28 DAYS LATER was an
intelligent science fiction thriller with horror movie aspects, DAWN OF THE
DEAD is more interested in the horror and the humor than it is in the story.



Thanks to their fourth amendment rights, Ana (Sarah Polley), Kenneth (Ving
Rhames) and the rest of our rag-tag team are able to collect an arsenal of
arms to fend off the zombies, which are called "twitchers." Only a shot to
the zombie's brain kills them, and our shooters all turn out to be perfect
marksmen who never miss. Our good guys are holed up at the local mall and
don't know if anything else is alive in the greater Milwaukee area, where
the story is set. In fact, they don't know much of anything, including how
this disaster got started and how widespread it might be.



Although a thousand twitchers mill around outside the mall like teens at a
rock concert, our team inside mixes worries with laughs. For people who are
dealing with the end of the world, they are strangely obsessed with finding
proper bathrooms. They spend their time playing basketball and having sex,
among other activities. Most of this seems to serve only to kill time. The
only truly ingenious part is a chess game, which Kenneth plays with a
stranger on another rooftop. They communicate moves with binoculars and
white boards.



The repetitive movie rapidly becomes tiresome. Only in the inevitable
ending break for freedom does the movie again recapture some of the energy
and imagination with which it started.



DAWN OF THE DEAD runs 1:45. It is rated R for "pervasive strong horror
violence and gore, language and sexuality" and would be acceptable for older
teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 19, 2004.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

What "fourth amendment rights" are you speaking of? Maybe Second Amendment?





"Steve Rhodes" wrote in message thlink.net...
DAWN OF THE DEAD
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2


Playing like a cross between a National Rife Association ad and a rip-off of
28 DAYS LATER, DAWN OF THE DEAD is actually a remake of the 1978 film of the
same name. As an extended teaser, the first ten minutes of the movie were
shown recently on national television. This was a brilliant marketing
strategy since this beginning segment of mayhem and death is the only
consistently satisfying part of the picture. Most of the movie has as much
dead air as dead bodies. The movie clearly wants to ride on the successful
coattails of 28 DAYS LATER, another zombie flick. It is even shot and
edited in the same grainy and jumpy style. But, while 28 DAYS LATER was an
intelligent science fiction thriller with horror movie aspects, DAWN OF THE
DEAD is more interested in the horror and the humor than it is in the story.



Thanks to their fourth amendment rights, Ana (Sarah Polley), Kenneth (Ving
Rhames) and the rest of our rag-tag team are able to collect an arsenal of
arms to fend off the zombies, which are called "twitchers." Only a shot to
the zombie's brain kills them, and our shooters all turn out to be perfect
marksmen who never miss. Our good guys are holed up at the local mall and
don't know if anything else is alive in the greater Milwaukee area, where
the story is set. In fact, they don't know much of anything, including how
this disaster got started and how widespread it might be.



Although a thousand twitchers mill around outside the mall like teens at a
rock concert, our team inside mixes worries with laughs. For people who are
dealing with the end of the world, they are strangely obsessed with finding
proper bathrooms. They spend their time playing basketball and having sex,
among other activities. Most of this seems to serve only to kill time. The
only truly ingenious part is a chess game, which Kenneth plays with a
stranger on another rooftop. They communicate moves with binoculars and
white boards.



The repetitive movie rapidly becomes tiresome. Only in the inevitable
ending break for freedom does the movie again recapture some of the energy
and imagination with which it started.



DAWN OF THE DEAD runs 1:45. It is rated R for "pervasive strong horror
violence and gore, language and sexuality" and would be acceptable for older
teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 19, 2004.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

Yes, I blew it.

My mind thought 2nd, but my hands typed 4th.

Is there an amendment that protects typos?

Steve


"Don" wrote in message
om...
What "fourth amendment rights" are you speaking of? Maybe Second
Amendment?





"Steve Rhodes" wrote in message
thlink.net...
DAWN OF THE DEAD
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2


Playing like a cross between a National Rife Association ad and a
rip-off of
28 DAYS LATER, DAWN OF THE DEAD is actually a remake of the 1978 film of
the
same name. As an extended teaser, the first ten minutes of the movie
were
shown recently on national television. This was a brilliant marketing
strategy since this beginning segment of mayhem and death is the only
consistently satisfying part of the picture. Most of the movie has as
much
dead air as dead bodies. The movie clearly wants to ride on the
successful
coattails of 28 DAYS LATER, another zombie flick. It is even shot and
edited in the same grainy and jumpy style. But, while 28 DAYS LATER was
an
intelligent science fiction thriller with horror movie aspects, DAWN OF
THE
DEAD is more interested in the horror and the humor than it is in the
story.



Thanks to their fourth amendment rights, Ana (Sarah Polley), Kenneth
(Ving
Rhames) and the rest of our rag-tag team are able to collect an arsenal
of
arms to fend off the zombies, which are called "twitchers." Only a shot
to
the zombie's brain kills them, and our shooters all turn out to be
perfect
marksmen who never miss. Our good guys are holed up at the local mall
and
don't know if anything else is alive in the greater Milwaukee area,
where
the story is set. In fact, they don't know much of anything, including
how
this disaster got started and how widespread it might be.



Although a thousand twitchers mill around outside the mall like teens at
a
rock concert, our team inside mixes worries with laughs. For people who
are
dealing with the end of the world, they are strangely obsessed with
finding
proper bathrooms. They spend their time playing basketball and having
sex,
among other activities. Most of this seems to serve only to kill time.
The
only truly ingenious part is a chess game, which Kenneth plays with a
stranger on another rooftop. They communicate moves with binoculars and
white boards.



The repetitive movie rapidly becomes tiresome. Only in the inevitable
ending break for freedom does the movie again recapture some of the
energy
and imagination with which it started.



DAWN OF THE DEAD runs 1:45. It is rated R for "pervasive strong horror
violence and gore, language and sexuality" and would be acceptable for
older
teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 19,
2004.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the
Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.