Dawn of the Dead
2004	Universal Pictures
Rated R	110min
RATINGS
Neo

Ana - Ana is this pretty cute nurse who seems to be the focus of the film. It starts around her life and the death of her boyfriend{?}. Best part is you kind of care about this character. She is a tough girl on the outide who is actually quite scared and frightend on the inside. She is someone the majority of us can relate to. (presumably she is dead.)

Michael - This is the budding romantic interest of Ana as the film rolls on. He is the calm, level headed, pseudo-leader of the group. What's his experience you ask? He sells TV's at Best Buy of course. This is a backstory to this character that is left hidden. Just enough is released to wet our pallets and leave us wanting more. By the end of the film we have connected with Michael and feel sorrowful when he has to be left behind due to his being bitten. (presumably dead due to a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.)

Officer Kenneth - Wow. Ving can actually play an a**hole! I suppose spending your whole marriage kissing some diva's behind will leave you with quite a bit of pent up frustraion that a role like this allows you to vent! Granted Kenneth does soften throughout the film, but for the most part his only concern is himself. Could this be the symbol of what's wrong with humanity? (presumably dead.)

Luda & Andre - Ok, these two are one wierd as hell couple. Luda is a Russian mail order bride (I assume) and Andre is the tough streetwise black kid from "da hood." Luda is pregnant (possibly with Andre's kid) and eventually suffers a bite from one our resident baddies. This sends poor Andre down a spiral of conflict and self recognition. Are these characters to connect with? No but it does lead to one kick ass horror revelation! (Luda is dead due to zombie "virus" and Andre due to gunshot.)

Steve & Monica - Ok, I have to be honest. This film never really tells you the characters names. Hell, it took almost an hour and a half to find out Ving's character's name. So I am assuming Monica was this chicks name. Anyway, Steve is the resident a**hole. You want nothing more than to see him chowed before your eyes. He has absolutely no compassion and is the guy who seemed to get away with everything at work. Monica on the other hand is just a whore. No ifs ands, or buts about it! (Our prayers are answered when Steve is eaten and Monica bites it by way of accidental chainsaw slice.)

Frank & Nicole - Frank is an unsuspecting good guy. Unfortunately he is bitten before we meet him and now faces not only the virus, but the possibility of being killed to protect the others. Nicole is his very cute redheaded daughter! She is a bit whiney and gets too attached to people, places and things way too quickly! Nicole had to witness her whole families death and only has her father left. er, only HAD her father that is. (Frank takes a bullet to the head after changing. Nicole is pressumed dead as well.)

C.J., Terry, & Bart - This wonder trio is the security left behind in the mall. C.J. is the tough guy leader who thinks the world owes him while Terry is the kind compassionate alternative. Poor Bart is just retarded! Besides the usual plot line of C.J. sacrificing himself for the group, Terry ends up falling for Nicole and this leads to one odd relationship. Way too 50's diner malt shop like for my tastes! (C.J. blows himself up to allow everyone's escape. Bart is munched & Terry is pressumed dead.)

Tucker, Glen, Andy - These three were just supporting characters but still played major parts. For example Andy owned the gun shop across the way from the mall. Ken and Andy became friends via long distance notes and an unhealthy dislike for celebrity look-a-likes. Tucker was a trucker looking kind of guy. For some odd reason he and C.J. became friends. He enters the picture with a wounded ankle, andof course we all assume he was bitten. Turns out not. But perhaps the oddest of this group was Glen. This balding middle aged man played an organ in the church. (insert unfunny religious joke here.) He was also gay and a cross-dresser who enjoyed tormenting security guards as they were locked down. (It's just easier to say they're all dead!)

Chips - He's the dog! :-)

*We're goin to the mall.
*If I put my foot up your ass, would that be your problem?
*I sell televisions at Best Buy.
*When there is no more room in Hell, the Dead will walk the Earth!
*Nice to see you've all bonded through this disaster.
*How do we know if he hits it? (loud boom)

• If you live in suburbia, even a young girl will be able to break into your house.
• Malls are the safest place to be when the world is over run with the flesh eating walking dead.
• Zombies can't swim.
• When you die, your running speed is doubled.
• Plot holes are fine so long as nobody mentions them.
• When fishing, never open strange floating coolers.
• Always review a tape before you tape over it. It may have some sexy naked chicks.

5min: Vivian's murderous rampage.
6min: He's dead Jim ... oops .. No he's not.
8min: So this is what Kuwait looks like?
10min: Whoa. Was she naked?
16min: That's a cool looking zombie.
18min: Anyone else find it kind of ironic that the music playing in the mall is by a guy who shot himself in the head? Get it? Zombie movie? Suicidal self head shooting reggae star? BAH! Don't worry, be happy!
36min: YEEEAAAA!!!! Ken Foree!
57min: Gotta love nightclub style Disturbed music.
69min: umm ... yuck
75min: A zombie baby? That's new and perhaps thee youngest zombie I have ever seen.
93min: LMAO I like it too!
95min: This is where you step on the gas Mr. Gordon.
104min: Random Gratuitous Breast Shot

Only problem is that this film had a ton more characters, most of which you could actually do without, and one major plot hole that no matter how had I try, I just can't get over. 19 minutes and 8 seconds into this film there is a significant scene where Ana washes off he boyfriends infected blood into the fountain at the entrance of the mall. At the 22 minute and 57 second mark, Kenneth falls into the well and bashes his arm on a fountain spout, opening up a wound in his arm. Later on we find out during a news broadcast that the virus has to enter the blood stream through an open wound for the person to become infected. This now arises a question at the end of the film, Why didn't kenneth get infected? To me this is just too much of a plot hole to go unnoticed.

Also one of the most disappointing parts of this film was the abscence of a pivitol scene of the original. Where were the bikers who broke in? See, in the first it almost symbolized how the humans were more of a threat to each other than the walking dead outside. It was a very moving part of the film and it really helped open a few eyes as to how we treat each other! t really brought to light the old saying of "Do unto others." Alas it was missing from this film. Sure we got a substituted scene that was somewhat similar with Andre and Norma but it just didn't seem to have the same kind of punch.

Those points aside though this movie was amazing. You had dark secret corners of the mall where the unthinkable was going on right under their noses. You had love affairs brewing only to have tragic endings. You had horrific images of death everywhere you turned and most imporant for zombie films, you had paper scattered all over the city. What the hell is the point of this? Do zombies not only eat flesh but feel the need to scatter loose leaf notebook paper everywhere in the city streets?

Basically was it worth it? Yes. I think that the more you see it and the more you suspend the previous history of zombies being the slow lumbering mounds of virus spreading filth, the more this film will light up. Would I recommend it to other people? Of course! I would recommend damn near any zombie film. Plus this is a new breed of zombie film and it helped pave the way for Romero's upcoming LAND OF THE DEAD! I say check it out and enjoy. It's well worth it!