.jpg)
Land of the Dead (2005)
The Dead Walk Again!
Directed By: George A. Romero
Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, & Asia Argento
MPAA Rating: “R” (for pervasive strong violence and gore, language, brief sexuality and some drug use)
Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, & Asia Argento
MPAA Rating: “R” (for pervasive strong violence and gore, language, brief sexuality and some drug use)
Twenty years after Romero made Day of the Dead, he returns to the franchise that made him a legend and, with him, he brings a thoroughly-talented cast, slick visuals, and more blood and gore than you could ever want. It may not be his best film when compared with the likes of Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), but it is better than Day of the Dead and it vividly displays the talent that made him famous. He again expands upon his own series by further challenging our knowledge of the zombies. The bloodthirsty creatures are again learning and advancing, making them just as intriguing as they were twenty years earlier.
Not long after the events portrayed in Day of the Dead, a large group of survivors has holed up within the confines of a city surrounded by rivers. The wealthy, led by the villainous Kaufman (Hopper), have locked themselves in a massive skyscraper named Fiddler’s Green that has everything anyone could ever need to survive. Kaufman allows the poor to live on the surrounding streets, though this is probably due to his need for workers rather than anything else. The poor include the heroic Riley (Baker) and the self-centered Cholo (Leguizamo) who are constantly at odds with each other. When Cholo, who has been personally serving Kaufman for years, is refused access to the Fiddler’s Green, he decides to lead a violent attack on the building. Suddenly, the delicate balance of survival is ruined and zombies begin to overtake the city. Now, Riley and a small group of comrades must try to stop Cholo and the impending zombie invasion.
George A. Romero has a way of never disappointing...at least not with this franchise. Even Day of the Dead, which is arguably the weakest of the series, is still a good movie. Land of the Dead is no exception and this is perhaps his greatest achievement since Night, not because it is better but because it is still this good after all of these years. With hundreds of other zombie films having been made and forgotten over the years, it is somewhat amazing that Romero still manages to keep his creatures interesting, frightening, and the best of the bunch. Clearly, he has something that no other filmmaker has; I don’t know what it is, but he has it. His creatures are still scary and we are still in awe of them whenever they walk (or shuffle) on screen.
Land of the Dead is not a complete return to form for Romero who saw his series stumble on slightly in 1985 with the release of the too-talkative Day of the Dead, but it is still a pretty great film. Despite the fact that all of the characters except for about five are completely interchangeable and the ending is perhaps a little too happy, Land of the Dead is still a genuinely fun zombie film. The social satire is still very much prevalent and the gore flows like a raging river. Gore hounds will love to see Romero get back to filming what he films best: zombies decapitating, devouring, and otherwise dismembering a slew of hapless victims. Romero has never been one for subtlety and filmmakers everywhere should take a lesson from the aged, but not dulled director. He has proven to be one of the most innovative and amazing horror filmmakers over the years and, if Land of the Dead is any indication, he won’t be slowing down any time soon.
Not long after the events portrayed in Day of the Dead, a large group of survivors has holed up within the confines of a city surrounded by rivers. The wealthy, led by the villainous Kaufman (Hopper), have locked themselves in a massive skyscraper named Fiddler’s Green that has everything anyone could ever need to survive. Kaufman allows the poor to live on the surrounding streets, though this is probably due to his need for workers rather than anything else. The poor include the heroic Riley (Baker) and the self-centered Cholo (Leguizamo) who are constantly at odds with each other. When Cholo, who has been personally serving Kaufman for years, is refused access to the Fiddler’s Green, he decides to lead a violent attack on the building. Suddenly, the delicate balance of survival is ruined and zombies begin to overtake the city. Now, Riley and a small group of comrades must try to stop Cholo and the impending zombie invasion.
George A. Romero has a way of never disappointing...at least not with this franchise. Even Day of the Dead, which is arguably the weakest of the series, is still a good movie. Land of the Dead is no exception and this is perhaps his greatest achievement since Night, not because it is better but because it is still this good after all of these years. With hundreds of other zombie films having been made and forgotten over the years, it is somewhat amazing that Romero still manages to keep his creatures interesting, frightening, and the best of the bunch. Clearly, he has something that no other filmmaker has; I don’t know what it is, but he has it. His creatures are still scary and we are still in awe of them whenever they walk (or shuffle) on screen.
Land of the Dead is not a complete return to form for Romero who saw his series stumble on slightly in 1985 with the release of the too-talkative Day of the Dead, but it is still a pretty great film. Despite the fact that all of the characters except for about five are completely interchangeable and the ending is perhaps a little too happy, Land of the Dead is still a genuinely fun zombie film. The social satire is still very much prevalent and the gore flows like a raging river. Gore hounds will love to see Romero get back to filming what he films best: zombies decapitating, devouring, and otherwise dismembering a slew of hapless victims. Romero has never been one for subtlety and filmmakers everywhere should take a lesson from the aged, but not dulled director. He has proven to be one of the most innovative and amazing horror filmmakers over the years and, if Land of the Dead is any indication, he won’t be slowing down any time soon.
0 comments:
Post a Comment