“What’s most interesting about the zombies in Dawn is that they seem to be most influenced by “the infected” of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (itself inspired by Romero’s trilogy, especially Day of the Dead). If anything, this felt like the Hollywood version of that film over Romero’s. I was left with a strange sense of ambivalence about the choice the filmmakers made to go this route, as initial scenes of full-blown SPRINTING zombies lead to some unintentional titters in the audience. Just how dead are these re-animated bodies? Even zombies who might not have been the fastest or strongest in mortal life seem to attack with incredible speed and above-average strength. (Several key moments of zombie movement are actually sped-up with camera trickery to accentuate their quickness, once again, recalling Boyle’s film.) I found myself distracted during the climax by one background zombie in particular, who, finding his intended path blocked by fiery debris, scampers from one spot to another with near problem-solving agility. The “Modern / Swift Zombie Vs. Lumbering / Traditional Zombie” debate will surely rage even further once this one hits theaters.”
Hmmm. Seems like I was saying something about this just yesterday. An advance review for “Dawn of the Dead: ’04” is now up over at the Creature Corner.