running zombie chaos!?

[Svengoolie]

Yes and no. In the original what ever the "fab four" attempted to do they did so in (atleast for the time period) in an effective manor. the new group was just half assed about everything (excluding ving rhames). they didn't use any of the available materials within the mall to either A) help effect their escape. B) recon thier boating options or C) implment supply operation with the gun store. from start to finish they were just laying low untill the script up and said "whelp time to leave the mall". Not quite. In the remake, the survivors fortified the shuttle buses with improvised materials looted from the hardware store in a music montage. They also came up with a couple of ideas of clearing the ghouls out of the way during their escape--including using the snow plow blades, IEDs (the propane tank/road flare bombs), and chainsaws. As for your point b...what kind of recon operation were they supposed to implement when being actively chased down by a city full of zombies? They knew where they were going and whose boat they were looking for. In their situation, they had more of a plan than Stephen did when he flew out into the night sky.... They knew they were going to have to get to Andy's gun store one way or the other--to both save Andy and get what they needed. That plan had to be modified when Andy got bit and they had to save Nicole, but they still needed the guns. When they went back to the mall through the sewer, everybody was armed to the hilt, and I remember at least one character carrying a bag of guns an ammo. as for plot devices, the bikers alteast within the context of the film make "some" sense. armed bands of raiders would most certainly be a reality within this fiction. with dawn 2k4 it was just one scripted event after another. I disagree on that. People in fortified areas were disappearing into the stomachs of ghouls one after the other...but a group of bikers out in the open were able to survive? Maybe...but then again, maybe not. They had to stop sometime, and I just don't see them surviving longer than groups in well stocked, fortified locations. They'd be a reality, sure. At the beginning. Personally, I always felt that the roving bands of police and vigilantes on search and destroy missions at the end of NOTLD and the beginning of Dawn would degenerate into these types of bands...but I wouldn't see them lasting months into the phenomenon. No. The bikers' sole purpose was to jumpstart a stalled story and showcase more grisly deaths. the plan to steal the chopper was on a basic level more improvosational than anything else. and while not well planed, stephen had the basic fallback of the helicopter allowing for a more intuitive or fly by sight system of navigation. That's one way of putting it. He stole the chopper with no plan whatsoever, except to fly west. As Fran put it "Jesus Christ...we don't even know where we're going. We don't have food, we don't have water...we don't even have a radio." What you call "improvisational", I'd call "reckless" (to say the least)...especially when you're flying in a stolen chopper out into a land of ghouls, looters, and trigger happy cops. They could've ran out of fuel and landed in a sea of ghouls, a group of either type of humans...or out in the middle of nowhere--where eventually they'd still encounter one or all of those three. But, somehow, to you that made more sense than the Dawn04 survivors getting on a boat. Okay. futher the "fab four" had the foresight to arrange prestocked supplies on the chopper. to that end they demonstarted an ability to plan for contingencies. the new group again failed to do any of this. Stephen didn't stock the helicopter until several months after they'd been in the mall, when he was teaching Fran to fly. Coincidentally, it was the same day the bikers broke in...so it was all in all a lucky move. Too bad they leave the mall without much else...including fuel. As for the new group--we saw them fortifiying the buses, so I think it'd be safe to assume that they'd stashed other supplies in there as well. If they got the chance--you've gotta remember, they were still in the final stages of their plan (Marcellus Wallace held up that sign to Andy that said "5 more days") when the zombies got in and they had to make a run for it. As for what they got at the gun store, they had to leave with what they could carry themselves through a sewer...and they ultimately had to to it while being chased by ghouls. THAT'S what I'd call "improvisational".

[Tullaryx]

I disagree on that. People in fortified areas were disappearing into the stomachs of ghouls one after the other...but a group of bikers out in the open were able to survive? Maybe...but then again, maybe not. They had to stop sometime, and I just don't see them surviving longer than groups in well stocked, fortified locations. They'd be a reality, sure. At the beginning. Personally, I always felt that the roving bands of police and vigilantes on search and destroy missions at the end of NOTLD and the beginning of Dawn would degenerate into these types of bands...but I wouldn't see them lasting months into the phenomenon. No. The bikers' sole purpose was to jumpstart a stalled story and showcase more grisly deaths. Actually, it is wholly plausible that such a nomadic convoy of raiders and bikers would've survive that long in the outside. Remember, when watching the scenes when they flew over the countryside and back roads the zombies were out there but never in large enuogh numbers that they bunched up. I'm sure the raiders lost people to negligence and sometimes just being overpowered. But I think they mostly just went from station to station and probably even siphoning gas from abandoned cars, or from fleeing people they killed for supplies, weapons and women. Even in the end of Dawn where the bikers were set upon by the zombies, it looked like alot of them still got out of the mall to continue their nomadic ways. They just didn't care about anyone who may have been left behind and/or injured and needs help. This is one type of group that would survive for a long time since they act to survive by any means necessary.

[Arcades057]

My beefs with the movie revolve, mostly, around one character: Steve, AKA Poor-man's Bruce Campbell. I didn't like him. Every line he had was a joke, taking away from the movie (which was supposed to be horror, by the way). I understand that these days you have to have comedic relief, but he was a little over the top. I didn't much care for the running zombies either, but I'm getting used to them. The best part of the movie was the beginning montage, showing scenes from around the world. I think this was the first movie to do that and I rather enjoyed it. Also, the part where the president's guards start mowing down reporters, I loved that too. Hell, my personal opinion is that you could've made the whole movie following the president's people mowing down zombies all across the country on their way to Disney Land and it would've been all good. Leave out Steve and it would've been better than it was to start with.

[Svengoolie]

The best part of the movie was the beginning montage, showing scenes from around the world. I think this was the first movie to do that and I rather enjoyed it. Also, the part where the president's guards start mowing down reporters, I loved that too. I couldn't agree with you more. It's one thing to HEAR about the ****e hitting the fan, like we did in GAR's flicks...but it's another thing to SEE it happening. The riot footage intermingled with the news casts and ghouls was truly a seminal point in the zombie genre, IMO.....

[Tullaryx]

I also liked that credits montage after that crazy first 10 minutes. I think what made it great for me was Johnny Cash singing "When the Man Comes Around" in the background. Everytime I hear that song now I keep thinking I should start oiling up my guns, checking the supplies, check the truck to make sure it has a full tank and start for things to go down.

[axlish]

I think the best part of the film was the final sequence, beginning with the crew hauling ass over to Andy's Gun Shop and ending in the "credits". This sequence took it above and beyond what Return of the Living Dead was able to do. We went out into the ruins of the city and saw what was going down in the unpopulated areas. Some complain about the jumpy camera work (similar to Private Ryan) but I think that helped the tension in this case. It was a successful portrayal of a place I don't want to be anywhere near. The only part that really irked me in that sequence was Ving running full speed through the fence and barrelling into the dock, thus screwing them over and basically causing CJ's death. What was Michael thinking allowing a perfectly healthy CJ remain behind as a martyr while he has his cheeze moment on the dock? He should have remained at the truck crash site and held off the zombies while everyone else made it ok.

[Arcades057]

Dude, good point, Axlish, I never thought about the whole CJ thing before. That is crazy, what a selfish prick.

[glazedoverdead]

Nope, I love it how it is. I totally agree. It was a fun film...BTW, I love the avatar, Craig! That priest totally rocks! "I kick arse for the Lord!"

[general tbag]

nother bumpage

[AcesandEights]

Doesn't matter to me, either way. Great, fun flick. Despite what people bent on hating it have to say, and the film's obvious blemishes I enjoyed, and continue to enjoy it, thoroughly.

[EvilNed]

**** for brains, **** for characters, **** for script. But damn fine direction, I tell ya. Damn fine direction. The script and characters is obviously very sub-par. Most of the decisions they make throughout the film is just unremarkably bad. Especially that asshole Steve, who is arguably the worst character ever to be written down on paper. But I like what Zack Snyder did with what he had at his disposal. Using Johnny Cash music, realizing that this script was **** and just went all out action with it, etc. etc. So I'd still think that the film was really crappy. But I'd like it's style, and enjoy it as a no-brainer. Much as I do now.

[Maitreya]

The only part that really irked me in that sequence was Ving running full speed through the fence and barrelling into the dock, thus screwing them over and basically causing CJ's death. What was Michael thinking allowing a perfectly healthy CJ remain behind as a martyr while he has his cheeze moment on the dock? He should have remained at the truck crash site and held off the zombies while everyone else made it ok. Hahahaha. It bothered me that Michael would even let him drive after he flipped the last shuttle. CJ's death sucked, but it showed his development from being a total prick to a self-sacrificing, good person. It also wasn't planned for him to stay behind and die. I think he just realized he wanted to go down fighting rather than running. Plus Michael was gone before he said anything about staying if I recall. Yea. Michael in my opinion was my favorite character. I really like the actor, always have since I saw him in Medium. Well, I never get why people flip out over Dawn '04 to begin with. It appeals to a modern day audience and it's actually the movie that got me into GAR's movies and zombies in general. I mean, the zombie genre was really dying out. Name off a prominent zombie flick in the 10 years before Dawn '04 (Haha, and you can't say Night '90, 28 Days Later doesn't apply either: It's not really a zombie movie, more post-apocalyptic). Just my thoughts. I am a full defendant of Dawn '04.

[Rolfus]

I really enjoyed both versions of dawn they are very differen. In some ways i like the running zombies they add a whole lot more excitment and really make you think that there is no hope where as with shamblers its hard to concieve them taking over the world to the point you see in day/land and are much more suited to a night scenario. But no the title makes no difference to me at all

[Brubaker]

I couldn't agree with you more. It's one thing to HEAR about the ****e hitting the fan, like we did in GAR's flicks...but it's another thing to SEE it happening. The riot footage intermingled with the news casts and ghouls was truly a seminal point in the zombie genre, IMO..... That is what I liked most about the movie. Sometimes it is better to show it than to have it implied or left up to the imagination. It could be argued that Ving's character was more selfish than CJ. Why? Rhames spent the first half of a movie not caring about anything or anyone but his brother. He wanted to leave and say to hell with everyone else, typical of the mentality that would allow an outbreak to escalate. CJ at least cared about the two other guards in the mall with him and did come around by the time he was killed. As for the original question, chances are I never would have watched this one if the name Dawn hadn't been on it. After all, I did love the original Regardless of the name, I would have enjoyed it, though. The characters are no worse than some of those in Land. I've never warmed up to the likes of Charlie (who I just loathe), Slack or Riley. I never believed them as types who would survive for the long haul, compared to characters from earlier GAR movies. Foxy, Brubaker (for his limited screen time), Kaufman and Pillsbury, I could understand but the rest of them? I never believed Cholo would stick around in an outbreak but at least I liked Leguizamo's work in Land, so I give him a pass.