Following up after the end of Romero's first masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead takes us deeper into a world lost in zombie apocalypse.
Two SWAT team officers and two members of a TV news team aim to flee to Canada in hopes that the zombie outbreak has not spread across the border. They escape in the station's traffic helicopter. Soon they land at a local shopping mall where they hope to re-fuel and stock up on supplies.
They find that hundreds of zombies have congregated at the mall, as if driven there by memories or routine. They establish a safe base camp and go out to find supplies in the zombie infested halls of the mall. But it may be their fellow humans, not the zombies, who cause them the most trouble.
Like Romero's other films, Dawn of the Dead has something to say. Namely, a critique and mockery of the hedonistic consumerism exemplified in American capitalism. It also boasts improved special effects compared with its predecessor. The zombies are all kind of blue on the other hand, which is a bit odd. The film has also been criticized for its campy dialogue, sets and even acting. While some of this is partially true, it doesn't manage to take away from the movie's greatness. Romero lulls the viewer into a false sense of security using humour and lightheartedness only to jerk you violently back into reality through some series of horrifying events.
Dawn of the Dead is another great zombie classic; fun to watch, grisly, yet an effective carrier of a timely critique of the society we live in. A remake, which did not involve Romero, was released in 2004.
5 Hare Krishna zombies out of 5
Rated R for violence/gore, language, frightening and intense scenes.
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