Horror remake avoids 'Dead' end

Known primarily for his television commercials featuring sleek foreign cars, director Zack Snyder tries his hand at feature filmmaking with a bold remake of a '70s horror classic. That's some balls for a rookie, but amazingly, he succeeds far beyond expectations. Never before (not even in "28 Days Later") have the living dead seemed so unstoppable and menacing.\nThis time around, the survivors of the zombie plague are again hiding out in a shopping mall, but the allegories of a greedy, consumerist society are non-existent. This film is about pure terror, not social commentary, and Snyder's style of direction suits this cause perfectly. The zombies no longer lumber aimlessly. They attack, like so many rabid animals. We see them not as our former friends and neighbors, but as a literal swarm of concentrated death.\nWe care far more about this cast of characters than those in the 1979 original, and this is because the acting and screenplay in Snyder's version are slightly more adept and believable. The one key aspect of the original which, sadly, did not translate to this film is the hard-hitting, realistic violence. \nThere are heaping helpings of blood spraying, headshots and even an unfortunate chainsaw mishap in the new "Dawn," but never will an audience accustomed to vintage horror flinch or cringe. This is primarily due to the fact that film violence simply doesn't shock us the same way it did when Romero's film was unleashed upon an unsuspecting public 25 years ago. Also, as a general rule, CG gore does not have the same disturbing effect as realistic makeup effects.\nWhile Snyder's re-imagining of Romero's much-heralded zombie flick never quite lives up to the brooding mood of the original, it showcases some splendidly stylized action violence. Experience "Dawn of the Dead" for yourself, and make sure you don't leave until after the last frame of credits.