A cheap slasher movie atmosphere haunts this loose remake of George Romero’s third zombie film. While Romero’s “Day of the Dead is by far the weakest in his series - partially due to budgetary constraints when it was made in 1985 - this 2008 “Day of the Dead” remake has reached a new low. To be able to make a zombie picture which is not remotely scary seems impossible, but director Steve Miner (“Halloween H20”) has done just that.
If you are a fan of the zombie sub-genre and remember the plot of the original “Day of the Dead”, it may be disappointing to find out this new film is more a re-imagining than a remake. The military have a minor presence in the story and there are a few cursory scenes referring to experiments which may have led to the undead outbreak. But in this version the zombie plague has not yet spread. National Guard troops attempt to quarantine the mysterious disease in a western town. Mena Suvari (“American Beauty”) plays an unconvincing soldier who patrols her home town with an unloaded sidearm. This detail is both unbelievable and never explained.
The survivors of the initial outbreak are searching desperately for a way out of town (and this movie). Ving Rhames starred in the tremendously popular 2004 remake of “Dawn of the Dead” and somehow got hoodwinked into returning to zombie films in this non-sequel, playing a different character. None of the actors appear to be afraid of the creatures or committed to their characters. The make-up - which is essential for a decent zombie movie - is sub-par, creating a made-for-television vibe. The zombie characters uncharacteristically leap around like animals and perform CGI-enhanced stunts.
This sloppy excuse for a motion picture did not even get a theatrical release, being unceremoniously dumped on DVD. “Day of the Dead” is unable to rise to even an unintentionally humorous standard, instead causing a glazing over of the eyes. Maybe the best this film can hope for is turning its viewers into zombies.
Rated R for strong pervasive horror violence and gore, and language.
