Land of the Dead
I, like many other fans of the genre, have been waiting for what seems like forever for another sequel, and finally it's here. Sadly, due to how things work in this day and age, the film was less like its predecessors and more like a typical modernized zombie flick. Sure there are some things in it that make it stand out, but in the end I have to say that I wasn't too impressed. The movie is very entertaining and the concept of the dead having already taken over and what's left of the human race is forced to live in confined areas is original. Though, it didn't really feel like a Romero movie. For one, George made the cuts (despite in the past where he refused) in order for the movie to get an R-rating. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I dislike the flick, I just dislike certain things.
Now we're to presume that the fact that the zombies in this movie are learning to hold a gun and shot and work together is a natural progression with the previous films. If you remember in Day, Bub was learning to shoot and saluted someone at the very end. Although I find that progression very interesting, I have a problem with the fact that they are just learning way too fast. I can believe a week or maybe a few days, but a matter of minutes or hours, they're holding weapons and using them against us? I mean, do they really need weapons? They're freakin' zombies, they can bite the hell outta us! But then again, they are pretty slow and weak. I have mixed feelings about the leader of the horde of zombies referred to as "Big Daddy". For one, he doesn't even look like a zombie. He looks more like a demon or some guy with a deformed face; and he's somehow formed a plan to gather his zombie friends, put weapons in their hands, and head to the city? When the scene where they all stood at the docks and looked across the water to the city, I was just waiting for them to just jump in and start dog-paddling their way to land. And what was up with that howl of his?
The movie had its fair share of cool cameos (Tom Savini, Ed Wright, & Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead); good gore here and there (although they're very quick scenes); interesting characters; and small comedic elements added into it, which all added up to one entertaining piece of work, but that's all the movie is -- entertaining. It's not scary and very far from being a classic like the previous films. Another thing I had a problem with is the movie's lack of the feeling of utter seclusion. For instance in the past films we had that secluded feeling where our heroes are bunkered up and greatly outnumbered by zombies, where there's no escape, but somehow they manage to pull through. In this movie the feeling only lasts a few seconds, then they'd just blast their way through the slow-walkin' muthaz with automatic weapons. It's just too bad that Romero had to go through with what the producer's wanted, and turned the flick into another Dawn of the Dead '04, down to the bus-turned-weapon-against-the-zombies. Although Romero directed this film, you'd never know from the looks of it.
There has been talks of a possible sequel to this movie, but only if this did well. The movie's budget was estimated to be around 15 or 17-million, and it made 10-million at the box office; opening in over 2200 theaters. Judging from the box office totals, we wont be seeing another film anytime soon (if ever). Unless George can put out a balls-to-the-wall, F-the-MPAA sequel, I'd like to see this as the last in the series. Oh yeah, George, the clown zombie = brilliant.
Now we're to presume that the fact that the zombies in this movie are learning to hold a gun and shot and work together is a natural progression with the previous films. If you remember in Day, Bub was learning to shoot and saluted someone at the very end. Although I find that progression very interesting, I have a problem with the fact that they are just learning way too fast. I can believe a week or maybe a few days, but a matter of minutes or hours, they're holding weapons and using them against us? I mean, do they really need weapons? They're freakin' zombies, they can bite the hell outta us! But then again, they are pretty slow and weak. I have mixed feelings about the leader of the horde of zombies referred to as "Big Daddy". For one, he doesn't even look like a zombie. He looks more like a demon or some guy with a deformed face; and he's somehow formed a plan to gather his zombie friends, put weapons in their hands, and head to the city? When the scene where they all stood at the docks and looked across the water to the city, I was just waiting for them to just jump in and start dog-paddling their way to land. And what was up with that howl of his?
The movie had its fair share of cool cameos (Tom Savini, Ed Wright, & Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead); good gore here and there (although they're very quick scenes); interesting characters; and small comedic elements added into it, which all added up to one entertaining piece of work, but that's all the movie is -- entertaining. It's not scary and very far from being a classic like the previous films. Another thing I had a problem with is the movie's lack of the feeling of utter seclusion. For instance in the past films we had that secluded feeling where our heroes are bunkered up and greatly outnumbered by zombies, where there's no escape, but somehow they manage to pull through. In this movie the feeling only lasts a few seconds, then they'd just blast their way through the slow-walkin' muthaz with automatic weapons. It's just too bad that Romero had to go through with what the producer's wanted, and turned the flick into another Dawn of the Dead '04, down to the bus-turned-weapon-against-the-zombies. Although Romero directed this film, you'd never know from the looks of it.
There has been talks of a possible sequel to this movie, but only if this did well. The movie's budget was estimated to be around 15 or 17-million, and it made 10-million at the box office; opening in over 2200 theaters. Judging from the box office totals, we wont be seeing another film anytime soon (if ever). Unless George can put out a balls-to-the-wall, F-the-MPAA sequel, I'd like to see this as the last in the series. Oh yeah, George, the clown zombie = brilliant.