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| Subject: Watched Dawn 04 this morning... | Date: Fri 22-Jul-2005, 20:43:03 | |  |
I have to say, it was somehow different this time. The first 10 minutes and the awesome opening credits were simply incredible. Snyder was on his genius pills when this part was made. Just too bad he ran out. The film just goes downhill faster and faster as it goes on, devolving from a potentially good horror film to an average action movie. The movie does the action pretty good, and the scenes are very well shot. The parts where people are blowing undead heads off or firing shotguns irrationally at them are simply weak. The character development and plot was utterly lame.
To be fair, I will square the movie off against the recent Land of the Dead, made by the master himself, George A. Romero.
Plot
Dawn04: Dead come back to life running at breakneck speeds. People hide in mall, goof off for several months, then make an escape for reasons not clearly explained.
Land: Dead have been stumbling around for a while, and most of the population of the Earth has been either killed off or transformed into more zombies. One of the last strongholds of humanity comes under assault from smarter zombies, and falls.
Winner: Land of the Dead
Reason: While to any non-fan, both plots are utterly ridiculous, Land's makes the greatest sense. People are just trying to survive, and their undead counterparts start waking up to make things difficult for them. In Dawn, however, the plot is not only unoriginal, it really breaks down when they leave the mall, as it made absolutely no sense to leave.
Characters
Dawn04: Wide and varied cast of characters, some of whom are played well, others who are not quite so solid. Only memorable character was the asshole.
Land: Wide and varied cast, a first for Romero. All parts are played excellently, especially Hopper and Leguizamo. Memorable characters include the insane Cholo, the comic relief/profound statements Charlie, and the simply classic Pillsbury.
Winner: Land of the Dead
Reason: Through and through, Romero did better casting than Snyder, and managed to coax the best out of these actors. Acting was sometimes weak in Dawn04, while it was always excellent in Land, with each person performing at their best. Don't give me any lip about Argento either, it is difficult for someone from Italy to speak with a Northeastern accent, even for an accomplished actress.
Action
Dawn04: Done very well, using the new "snazzy MTV-like cutting" to accomplish some spectacular battles. While not exactly to my liking, the action scenes appeal to the audience it was made for, and therefore, gets high marks
Land: Not quite so much action, most is accomplished by the undead. Romero retains his quality style of not going over-the-top action hero on us, and makes his battles seem realistic and maintains the suspension of disbelief.
Winner: Tie
Reason: Both movies appeal to the intended audience in the action department. In Dawn04, the impossible shots and unbelievable feats keep the teenagers amused. While in Land, the action is much more down-to-earth and muted, it appeals to the older viewers who love the series.
SFX
Dawn04: Reasonably well-done zombies, and a few momentary scenes of gore. While most of the headshots would have been impossible for the characters, the impacts were believable and very pleasing on the Unrated DVD.
Land: Excellent zombies, especially on Number Nine. Her prosthetic made several people wonder aloud how they'd done that. Big Daddy's death was hard to figure out, but he could have used more time in the makeup trailer. Otherwise, the CG blood was impossible to notice, and the gore effects were very intense and viscerally attractive, even in the theatrical release. Fliptop the Zombie Priest was a bit much, however.
Winner: Land
Reason: Nicotero has his shit together, and his zombies were very believeable. Though many complain that they should have been more decomposed than the zombies in Day, they are forgetting that this movie takes place in Pittsburgh. The cold temperatures most likely preserved the corpses better. Plus we all know Pittsburghians would outlast everyone else on Earth  . Overall, the effects in Dawn04 were alright, but nothing as spectacularly gut-wrenching as the bellybutton scene in Land.
I've said my thoughts. Peace out. |
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Homepage of the Dead
Watched Dawn 04 this morning...
