7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
The dead have become zombies, stalking in an endless quest to feed on those who remain alive. Remake of the 1978 film.
Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Ty BurrellHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 65% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
So what's the bad news?
It's nice to see Hollywood leaving behind its teenagers-in-peril slasher movie craze of the 1990s,
some of which teetered on being family-friendly,
and returning to a more unforgiving, hyper-realistic style of horror. The copious blood and guts
are
back, but instead of the gritty, dreary films of the 1970s and 1980s, these newer horror films are
shiny, faster, deadlier, and far more unforgiving, with director Marcus Nispel's 2003 remake of
The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre still serving as the quintessentail example of what early 21st century
horror looks, sounds, and feels like. 2004's Dawn of the Dead is another such film that
is
never afraid to paint its canvas blood-red, showing viewers an extremely graphic, and vividly so,
take on one of
cinema's most storied horror sub-genres: the zombie film. Invoking the name of the most
cherished -- and finest -- zombie film yet, George A. Romero's seminal 1978 classic, 2004's Dawn of
the
Dead never quite decides if it is a remake, a re-imagining, or a mostly separate entity
altogether. It has obviously borrowed the basic plot of the late 70s classic, but as the film plays
out,
it becomes clear to anyone who has seen Romero's film that the similarities stop at the
premise. Director Zack Snyder's film is a decent one, and were it in no way tied to Romero's, it
may have worked better, and indeed, for the modern audience craving more gore, a faster pace,
and snazzier visuals, the film works well. It even works well for horror fans in general, and even
for the most stalwart purists who hold Romero's work in the highest regard, the 2004 edition of
Dawn of the Dead is still a fun, if not mindless, ride when viewed in the context of a
standalone film.
She's seen better days.
Dawn of the Dead infests Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Detail is excellent in many scenes and the transfer often conveys a sharp, crisp image that pops right off the screen. Black levels are decent, if not a bit crushed, however. Dawn of the Dead features a distinctive color palette; the interior mall shots are sometimes a cold, somber shade of green, but the film takes on many other tones, too, from bright, natural exteriors to dim basements and garages, all running the gamut of visual styles. The film oftentimes alters drastically in its visual conveyance of the story. From scenes exhibiting extreme amounts of noise in dark, poorly lit locales, to bright, clean, eye-catching scenery that is nothing short of amazing, the film manages to keep viewers interested to see what sort of visual cues the film will take on next. There is sort of a processed, artificial look to much of the film which stays true to the editions I have seen before. The clean, steely look of the mall comes through fine, with plenty of eye-catching detail to be found. Grain and noise is seen aplenty, particularly over bright whites, and while some shots are clean, others are caked in speckles and other blemishes. Dawn of the Dead is a frustrating transfer at best; its wide array of color schemes, locales, and textures sometimes translate well to high definition, and other times make for a fairly nondescript experience. With its greater attention to detail, however, the transfer is still a solid step up from the standard definition DVD.
As with most other Universal Blu-ray titles on the market at the time of this publication, Dawn of the Dead is an absolute blast to listen to, offering viewers a captivating DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Dialogue seems a bit low in volume at the beginning of the film, but no such anomalies were noticed once the film got going full-steam. The volume of sound effects is plenty loud, however, offering listeners an entertaining sonic siege on the aural senses. Surrounds are present and accounted for in nearly every scene. This track is a continuous bombardment of horror action, and it never shies away from exploding into a symphony of well-placed and expertly rendered sound. Bass is thunderous, providing a powerful workout for your subwoofer, through both sound effects and the film's dark, deep, harrowing score. Guns shots ring out loud and powerful with fine imaging and directionality, sounding full and fairly realistic. The track often creates an immersive 360-degree sound field that draws viewers into the film. Atmospherics are excellent. Music finds its way into the back channels and spreads nicely across the front. The soundstage also takes on an expansive feel as voices echo through the empty chambers of the mall, a great example being a dialogue scene in chapter 14. Dawn of the Dead hits all the right notes, and for a movie primed for a great soundtrack, this one does not disappoint.
Dawn of the Dead fails to provide fans all of the supplemental materials found on the previous DVD edition, but it does port over a commentary track with director Zack Snyder and producer Eric Newman. This track is fairly basic in nature, though it is entertaining as the participants discuss the experience of creating this, their first feature-length film. They enjoy the process of recounting their thoughts, chuckling over some of the curious decisions made by characters in the film, and more. It's a swift track, one easy to get into and enjoy, and fans of the film might enjoy this one on a sleepless night. Lastly, this disc is U-Control enabled. Every chapter of the disc offers some sort of pop-up picture-in-picture feature, the segments ranging from interviews with the cast and crew, discussions about the re-imagining of the speed with which the zombies move, and a look at the gore and make-up effects seen in the film. As always, fans may choose to jump straight to the segments via the U-Control menu rather than simply waiting for them to appear over the film.
Dawn of the Dead is a decent horror movie, and the invoking of Romero's classic does the film more harm than good by the end. Taken as a completely separate entity, the film is an entertaining and blood-soaked romp into the world of zombies. Taken as a re-make or re-imagining of Romero's classic -- and one cannot help but make the connection thanks not only to the film's title, but also from the borrowed themes and homages scattered throughout -- it flops. At the end of the day, the film is neither a good one nor a bad one, and thanks to Zack Snyder's decent direction, the excellent special effects, exciting action sequences, and decent pace, the film falls more towards the "good" end of the scale rather than the "bad." Universal's Blu-ray edition of the film is a mixed bag. Featuring a transfer that is sold but unspectacular, a fantastic soundtrack, and only a few supplements (and failing to provide some of the material found on the previous DVD edition), fans may be reluctant to upgrade. Dawn of the Dead is recommended as a purchase for those who do not own the film on another format.
Unrated Director's Cut
2004
Unrated Director's Cut
2004
Collector's Edition
2004
Unrated Director's Cut
2004
Collector's Edition | + Theatrical Cut on BD
2004
2007
2007
2005
1978
2010
2013
반도 / Bando
2020
2002
Collector's Edition
1985
[•REC]⁴: Apocalypse / [•REC]⁴: Apocalipsis
2014
2004
2007
2008
2016
2018
부산행 / Busanhaeng
2016
2016
Collector's Edition
1978
2012
2016