Iconic director Zack Snyder burst to the pinnacle of the cinematic mountain with his first feature, “Dawn of the Dead.” Hatred and loathing are the best descriptions for the pre-release announcement of the film. Legions of fanatical fans of Romero’s original classic were foaming at the mouth like starving undead goons, ready to rip the film apart. Everyone did a quick three-sixty as “Dawn of the Dead (2004)” blew audiences minds quicker than a bullet ripping through a zombie head. Kicking off with one of the most celebrated opening sequences in film history, the quick paced piece shined with stellar performances, deep dramatic undertones, and tense action brought on by the new wave of fast-moving zombies. (Fast moving zombies were originally seen in 28 Days Later, a British film that was released in 2002) Grossing over 100 million at the box office, Snyder originally wanted to do an immediate follow up, his treatment for a sequel was called “Army of the Dead.” The film, much like what has been released by Netflix this month, focused on the military getting the virus contained, but several cities were now blocked off and would have to be evacuated and eliminated so the country could rebuild. The last of the cleared-out cities would be Las Vegas, and a team of mercs were going to try to beat the bomb for one last shot at fortune and glory. Spending years in development hell, Snyder finally got the greenlight, along with 90 million in funds, from Netflix. Does “Army” stand up well with “Dawn?” let’s break it down with our first every Horror Nation silver screen standoff.
Opening Sequence: It would be a miracle for “Army” to match the perfect start that “Dawn” is best known for. In “Dawn” the breakout starts in suburbia and the tense scene between Sarah Polley and her husband immediately grips the viewer. Add in a may lay around the neighborhood and Johnny Cash singing over apocalyptic scenes, and you have perhaps the best opening in cinematic history.
“Army’s” opening involves a newlywed couple HEADING to Las Vegas for their honeymoon and accidentally unleashing the world’s most dangerous zombie ever. Once the prototype king zombie hits sin city and starts turning its citizens faster than a roulette wheel, the undead start to take down the town’s population in a casino style frenzy, all under the score of a slower paced version of “Viva Las Vegas.”
Winner: “Dawn of the Dead”
Cast: Seventeen years after its release, the characters from “Dawn” still stay fresh in the minds of horror fans. Performances from Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames and Mekhi Phifer set a tremendous tone. But it is the supporting cast of characters that has etched their performances into the minds of horror fans forever. Fresh character types such as: Over zealous security guard C.J., sleezy Steve, and sharpshooter Andy, all of which bring empathy and passion that cause audiences to cheer for the crew under siege.
All of the performances in “Army” are well done, but most of the main cast is split up for far too many scenes. Thus, only giving snapshots of depth to the characters. Only lead actor Dave Bautista and Ze German Matthias Schweighofer stand out against a pan of cookie cutter characters.
Winner: “Dawn of the Dead”
Zombies: “Dawn” was the second time the world had been introduced to fast moving zombies, however Snyder gave audiences a much more up and close experience than the more artistically based, “28 Days Later.” Dawn’s zombies are quick, brutal, and have some of the best decomposed looks in undead cinema history.
The undead horde in “Army” brings the horror world perhaps the most life like zombies ever seen. Each flesh eater serves as more of a hybrid human/zombie than completely mindless dead walking corpses, which makes them very imposing. What sets this platoon of pale flesh soldiers apart from previous films is there cunning. The subplot of the film hints that very human elements have created the horde in efforts of using them as weapons. There is a hierarchy of hellish heathens, with a king zombie at the top, followed by his alpha’s, and then mindless ground troops. Snyder may just have “borrowed” this idea from the underrated Carpenter modern classic, “Ghost of Mars,” but it serves as a refreshing take on the sub-genre.
Winner: “Army of the Dead”
Direction/Cinematography: Snyder went with a no holds barred approach for his first feature with “Dawn”. With quick pace, snappy dialogue, and action-packed sequences, the film rocks and rolls through first frame until its action filled end credits. Matthew Leonetti took the helm as cinematographer. Leonetti puts together an amazing look, throwing the camera from first person point of view to overhead shots to perfectly placed pans, all of which reveal the magnitude and scope of the horror the characters are encountering.
Snyder perhaps took on too much with “Army.” Serving as lead writer, director, and cinematographer. The result is an often choppy final product. Not enough time or written word is spent on each character to get the viewer fully vested in their fates. Some fantastic action set pieces get lost in the shuffle with over redundant sub-plots. Trimming a half hour from the two and a half hour running time would have helped the film to flow with more panache. While the Vegas back drop gives the piece some stunning views, far too often Snyder takes the audience into boring brown desert hues and dull dusty plain casino settings.
Winner: “Dawn of the Dead”
It was always going to be a tall task to take down arguably the best zombie film ever, but “Army” makes a valiant effort. At the end of the day, “Dawn of the Dead (2004)” has stood the test of time and will be remembered, adored, and consistently viewed much like Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” “Army of the Dead” is like taking out your first zombie with a perfect shot from a pistol, only to realize you have to repeat the action another thousand times to survive. The film leaves the viewer with many brief moments of adrenaline filled hope, and many moments of dull longing irrelevant storylines.
Scream Scores:
“Dawn of the Dead (2004)”: 9.5/10
“Army of the Dead”: 7.9/10