'Dawn of the Dead' is imaginative reworking of Romero classic

By Bill Muller
The Arizona Republic

DAWN OF THE DEAD (R) Three Stars (Good) Entertaining mix of humor and horror (and some inspired music choices) enliven this remake of George Romero's 1979 original about a small band of human survivors trapped inside a shopping mall by a massing throng of flesh-craving zombies. Startling opening sequence makes good use of Johnny Cash's tune "Man Comes Around," while director Zack Snyder thinks up some unique ways to "kill" the zombies. There's good chemistry among the cast, which includes Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley and Mekhi Phifer. Directed by Zack Snyder. Universal, 100 minutes.

Zombies — once relegated to late-night television and the dusty shelves of video stores — are making a comeback in films from "Resident Evil" to "Cabin Fever" to the well-received British import "28 Days Later."

The trend continues with a rollicking, seriocomic remake of George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead," a frenetic movie that combines a video-game sensibility with cartoonish, whacked-out violence. As with all good modern horror, one minute you're laughing out loud and the next you're covering your eyes.

Important news bulletin: The zombies are faster these days. They no longer stumble after their prey like Frankenstein monsters, but instead sprint like Carl Lewis, albeit rotting, flesh-eating versions. Luckily, they still can't operate heavy machinery or shoot guns, which gives the still-living a decided advantage.

The movie draws in the audience from the start, as young wife Ana (Sarah Polley) is confronted by a suddenly zombified little girl. Rushing into her suburban street for help, Ana is greeted by a neighborhood gone mad and watches in shock as a speeding ambulance mows down her crazed, gun-toting neighbor.

As the opening credits roll, Johnny Cash's "Man Comes Around" plays over scenes of society breaking down under an onslaught of zombies, perhaps representing the ultimate manifestation of the Atkins diet.

Borrowing the basic plot from the 1979 original, the film follows the plight of people who are huddling in a suburban shopping mall, with a hungry, cranky mob of zombies clamoring outside. The human holdouts include Ana, tough cop Kenneth (Ving Rhames), levelheaded salesman Michael (Jake Weber) and Andre (Mekhi Phifer), whose wife is pregnant. In addition to the bloodlusting ghouls, they also have to tangle with some overly authoritative security guards, led by the self-serving C.J. (Michael Kelly). Eventually, they're joined by another group that arrives in a panel truck, though some — taking their cue from the movie's signature song from Disturbed— are "Down With the Sickness."

At this point, I suppose it's vital to note that, well, this is a zombie movie. It's about flesh-eating monstrosities trying to kill people. If this doesn't sound like your cup of stew, you may want to skip it. For horror movie fans, though, "Dawn of the Dead" is just plain fun. In the screening I attended, the audience was elated as the last survivors of the human race, to break their boredom, take potshots at the milling zombies from a roof, choosing targets for a resemblance to certain celebrities. As upbeat music plays, a guy drives a golf ball into the crowd, knocking an oblivious undead on the noggin'.

It's hard not to like a horror movie that gives special meaning to the term "you'll put your eye out" and follows up with a raging zom-b-cue. Director Zack Snyder pays tribute to the original, casting makeup whiz Tom Savini in a cameo as a redneck sheriff, who offers the vital information, "You got to shoot 'em in the head!"

Later in the movie, Kenneth asks if everyone at a nearby fort is dead.

"Dead-ish," comes the reply.

Hey, that's just how we like our zombies.

Rated R for language, gore, sex and violence.