Day Of The Dead (2008)

Genre: Horror, Action, Thriller

Director: Steve Miner

Writers: Jeffrey Reddick, George .Romero

Staring: Mena Suvari, Nick Cannon Michael Welch, AnnaLynne McCord

Rating: ★★1/2

After the very much successful remake of George A. Romero's 1978 Dawn Of The Dead a remake of another classic was obvious, so four years later Romero teamed up with Jeffrey Reddick this time to recreate his Day Of The Dead. However this film doesn't compare to "Dawn" and is not even on the same level, even the original didn't but when comparing them as remakes its not even a contest. One of the flaws is that it doesn't follow the original whatsoever except the use of the original names for a few characters. Okay, so it doesn't exactly follow the old script and it doesn't have to, to be a good film, but the storyline is so modern and overused it ruins the original feel to it and dresses it up as an everyday "zombie" film.

The military closes off a small town in Colorado for some "special training" and it just so happens to be at the time most of the neighbourhood has some flu-like virus. However as the local medical centre overruns and the virus begins to develop it becomes clear that this isn't something that a few aspirin or paracetamol can sort out, the virus starts to turn people into flesh eating raged filled monsters. Whilst limbs are being ripped off and blood splattering every wall and pavement in the town tough female soldier Cpl. Cross (Mena Suvari) back in her hometown must escape with the help of a few colleagues and on the way rescue her recently reunited brother and his girlfriend.

Cpl.Cross is joined by Salazar (Nick Cannon), a soldier who acts likes he's in a ninja video game and Bud (Stark Stands), a "newbie" who's a polar opposite being sensitive, kind and a vegetarian. They are trapped in a hospital surrounded by Zombies with a limited supply of weapons. In a inventive and action packed gruesome fashion they fight their way to a hummer to escape. Trapped and hiding in a nearby radio station is her brother Trevor (Michael Welch), a spoilt teenager with a bit of a grudge and attitude, he's joined by his squeamish girlfriend Nina (AnnaLynne McCord). After being rescued they search for answers in a underground lab, in which they find the truth about how their town has been wiped out but still face the problem of the flesh eating ghouls. The rest of the film gives us unrealistic action, explosions and more blood, jumps and scares in attempt to entertain us.

The film tries to play on the growing and recovering relationship between Cpl.Cross and her brother but in all truth it isn't one bit touching or heart warming but cheesy and expected. The most enjoyable character in this film for me is Salazar, he brings the action and although unrealistic it provides us with the gore and blood we came to see and wanted. Despite its flaws Day Of The Dead deserves some credit for their faster, smarter and uglier zombies. The zombies show how much has developed since George A. Romero's original film but furthermore take a new aspect. The zombies tend to remember something from their previous life, whether it be a trait or a memory, this leads to the creation of a smarter and more dangerous zombie that we get to meet in the closing stages of the film. To me the films protagonists somehow remind me of the monsters in I Am Legend (2007) in the way they jump and climb ceilings and walls.

All in all Day Of The Dead isn't the best but It isn't quite the worse, many including myself expected far much better but that wasn't provided. The film doesn't quite take the full use of George A. Romero's original and with some shabby acting and some cheesy side plots it lets itself down. Fanboys and Romero worshipers will be bitter after viewing this but if you just want some action, blood and gore you will probably be mildly entertained, but I wouldn't go out of your way to go and see it.