Dawn of the Dead

Name: Dawn of the Dead
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Released: March 19, 2004
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames

2004

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 762 Ratings

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8.6

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8.6	User Score Universal acclaim based on 762 Ratings

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Dawn Of The Dead

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: March 19, 2004 | Unrated

Starring: Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames

Summary: In this remake of George A. Romero's horror classic, a nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a Midwestern shopping mall.

Director: Zack Snyder

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Horror

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 101 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Don't leave before the final frame -- if you're still breathing. Read full review

Empire William Thomas

A welcome surprise, containing more bona fide scares than Romero's vision, while paying grand lip service to the old master. Truly worthy of that famous title. Read full review

Bill Muller

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. [19 Mar 2004, p.1P]

Jim Agnew

First time director Zack Snyder has done an amazing job of creating a sense of doom and dread while sprinkling it with some wicked humor and amazing music. Read full review

Jeremiah Kipp

This new Dawn of the Dead doesn't stop to take a breath, and remains frequently scary and engaging in the moment without leaving much to chew on afterward. Read full review

V.A. Musetto

It's mindless entertainment, so take it or leave it. Read full review

Scott Tobias

Swarming with zombies on both sides of the camera, the film is unrelentingly relentless, leaving no room for original director George Romero's wry satire on consumerism or his slow-paced, creeping undead. Read full review

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User Reviews

juliankennedy23

Jul 17, 2014

Dawn of the Dead (2004): 10 out of 10: I sympathize with the fan boys that feel any remake of Dawn of the Dead is religious sacrilegious. You get an emotional attachment to films that scared you in your youth. (One on mine is Assault on Precinct 13 that was remade recently and I just know IDawn of the Dead (2004): 10 out of 10: I sympathize with the fan boys that feel any remake of Dawn of the Dead is religious sacrilegious. You get an emotional attachment to films that scared you in your youth. (One on mine is Assault on Precinct 13 that was remade recently and I just know I will be disappointed with the remake. I am still scared of ice cream trucks as a result of seeing that film when I was 9)

Remakes themselves have a well deserved bad reputation. (Easiest movie trivia question: What is the best film remake? The Maltese Falcon of course. That Humphrey Bogart perennial was a remake of a 1931 film of the same name. I'm sure back in 1941 that there were a couple of people complaining that Bogart was no Ricardo Cortez and the ruined the story by taking out the affair and homosexual subplots. The first film after all was a pre-code affair.)

Dawn of the Dead is in reality a different movie than the original. This is no shot for shot Psycho remake nor is it the same movie with a glossier CGI coat of paint. It is a faster more intense zombie film. It is one of the best action horror films of the last ten years. The opening twenty minutes in simply one of the scariest action packed sequences I have ever seen. By the time our band of protagonists gets to the mall they are not the only one's catching their breath.

It becomes a pretty good sized group at the mall and you end up slogging through some slow bits as the zombies eat it down to a more manageable size.The acting is across the board good and the effects are suitably gory and plentiful. Director Zack Snyder wisely dumps much of Romero's sociological subplots and replaces them with a more timely commentary. (Instead of zombies as consumer motif we have shooting undead celebrities. And instead of an outwardly hostile motorcycle gang, we have a more subtle power struggle between the otherwise powerless.)

The updates honestly work, as a more literal remake would have simply fallen flat. Is Dawn of the Dead better than the original? I won't say. Is it one of the best films of 2004? Yes. Is it better than Romero's own sequel Day of the Dead? Good Lord yes.… Expand

12 of 13 users found this helpful121

RD.

Mar 3, 2007

Very good remake. I have not seen the original. So I won't compare it with the remake. But this is a good movie and very entertaining and creepy. TH emovie is especially good for a first time director and the ending is very good provided you stay till the end of the credits.

1 of 2 users found this helpful

Impugn

Jan 12, 2020

One of the best zombie movies in a long time. Dawn of the dead has great acting & phenomenal special effects.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

RandyM.

Apr 23, 2007

A surprisingly good remake of George A. Romero's classic. Bloody, intense, and utterly relentless. Prepare for the ride of your life.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Spangle

Dec 16, 2016

The first Zack Snyder film I have enjoyed and it is largely because it is not his typical brand of childish filmmaking. Not just a film where he smashes toys together and laughs maniacally like a seven year old, Snyder is largely restrained here. Instead, it just plays like a typical zombieThe first Zack Snyder film I have enjoyed and it is largely because it is not his typical brand of childish filmmaking. Not just a film where he smashes toys together and laughs maniacally like a seven year old, Snyder is largely restrained here. Instead, it just plays like a typical zombie movie and, in that regard, it is a pretty good film. Tense, thrilling, and truly entertaining, Dawn of the Dead gets a little dead in the middle, but its beginning and conclusion are both terrific and laced with moments that pushed me right to the edge of my seat.

From the beginning, we are introduced to Ana Clark (Sarah Polley). Set to experience the zombie apocalypse first hand, Ana somehow manages to escape the clutches of the zombies in her home and find other survivors. Together, they migrate to the Crossroads Mall, where they find shelter with other survivors. Once there, they bring in more survivors and discover cliche things about zombies, such as being bitten turns you into one and to kill them, you must shoot them in the head. Hardly revolutionary in this, Dawn of the Dead does hit the brakes once they get to the mall and instead opts to show these "revelations" and show the people passing time. Yet, what is exhilarating is whenever they encounter zombies. Heart racing and action-packed in these moments, Dawn of the Dead shows that Snyder knows how direct thrilling scenes and create a great atmosphere that leaves on edge. Whether it is early or late in the film, moments with the zombies are always great.

Yet, the film does do some very interesting things. Not only is there a zombie baby, which just has to be unique to this film, and an inventive way of escaping, Dawn of the Dead features incredibly smart characters. Knowing their situation is hopeless, the characters cut the weak links down and do what they can to survive. There are very few stupid actions (other than Natalie going for Chips), but these are hardly prevalent and do actually get worked into the film pretty nicely. The inventive solution to get away, though silly on the surface, is a very good addition to this film and makes it feel somewhat unique. Instead of taking a final stand or having some cure occur, Dawn of the Dead let's its characters figure out an escape route themselves.

The film, as an action film, is incredibly entertaining. With great tension and good action set pieces, Snyder's typically strong visual style is somewhat here as watching zombies get their brains shot out has never really looked so nice. The zombie design is very good and the film's inventive plot solution comes through in nice action set pieces and an interesting design on the escape vehicle that really give the film a unique edge that make it compelling. However, the film does have some problems. Its wide range of characters are pretty awful. None of them really grab you and pull you in, rather it is just a collection of white people and a couple black guys fighting some zombies. The characters are never differentiated from one another in a significant fashion and, as such, they sort of just blend together. The film's plot also loses steam in the middle when Snyder just shows a montage of the characters engaging in sex, talk about gay relationships, and playing golf. Now, I did see the director's cut, so this may not apply to the theatrical cut. These moments just exist to pass time and do not advance the plot at all (and not just because I could tell which girl had sex since the white blonde girls look similar here at times, though I think the guy was Ty Burrell maybe). Just excessive and doing really nothing the momentum of the plot, these moments are an unfortunate addition to an otherwise tight film. It also feels odd due to the inclusion of a pastor speaking about why this is happening and blaming it on various sins. By including them, it feels as though Snyder is being a bit of his childish self as the pastor is just there to be mocked and have that same sin rubbed back in his face. Whether you agree with it or not, this moment does feel kind of awkward and useless for the rest of the film.

Fortunately, Dawn of the Dead is an action-packed and thrilling experience. With good special effects and thrilling moments a plenty, Dawn of the Dead defines the hopelessness of the genre (especially with the ending), but also shows the power of teamwork. I just wish that people in zombie movies had seen at least one zombie movie in their life so we can skip past the "you have to shoot them in the head" and "if you get bitten you turn into a zombie" moments that are in each of these films.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

grandpajoe6191

Sep 27, 2011

I never watched the original, but what I would recommend for "Dawn of the Dead" is to make a survival horror game rather than a movie. The ideas are fresh and tense, but its displayed using the wrong techniques.

6 of 17 users found this helpful611

LouisH.

Feb 6, 2008

Like all of our contemporary horror movies, this movie was absolutely one of the worst movies ever made. I can't believe they consider it a "drama" movie after all the senselessly stupid actions all the characters make. There is no reason, no sense, or any point to this movie. Where Like all of our contemporary horror movies, this movie was absolutely one of the worst movies ever made. I can't believe they consider it a "drama" movie after all the senselessly stupid actions all the characters make. There is no reason, no sense, or any point to this movie. Where did the zombies come from? Why did nobody take them seriously (with the mom's stupid gasp in the beggining)? Here is why :THEY'RE ALL IDIOTS!!!!!… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful

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15	#15 Most Discussed Movie of 2004
34	#34 Most Shared Movie of 2004