In 2004 director Zack Snyder took on the Herculean task of releasing a remake of the most beloved “zombie” film of all time, “Dawn of the Dead”. Zack had always been a huge fan of the original George A. Romero directed film. He was given the opportunity as a new director because the studio had great faith in his interest in the source material. What came from his effort is what I consider one of the best remakes ever made.

The original “Dawn of the Dead” was a sequel to “Night of the Living Dead”. Romero had finally made a sequel to his classic original. This film however was much larger in scope, and finally showed us what was going on in the rest of the world. The film was also in color, a big change from the black in white in the original. It’s often pointed out that the black and white of the “Night” film added to the scare. Some people are also critical to point out that the zombies appear ‘blue’ at times on film in “Dawn”. Nevertheless, the film had outstanding makeup effects for it’s time.

Released in 1978 the original “Dawn” about a group of survivors hiding from zombies in a Mall made 55 million dollars worldwide. The film also played into the ‘political’ arena with its themes and storyline. Romero went on to make several more zombie films but it’s this classic that is most revered.

The remake of “Dawn” made 102 million worldwide at the box office. It is also known for its aggressive marketing campaign to distance itself from Romero’s original film. The first 10 minutes of the movie was shown un-edited on the cable network USA and the buzz from that preview helped boost its opening weekend numbers. Romero himself is quoted as saying “The first 15-20 minutes are really great”.

The differences between the two movies are drastic, although they follow the same premise of surviving from zombies in a mall. The biggest debate about the new film was that the zombies could run. This added a new element of drama and terror. No longer did the zombies stumble around and walk casually. Now, they could sprint after you. The newer film substituted Wisconsin for Pennsylvania as a location. It also offered a larger cast and more tension between characters. Both casts are outstanding but for me it’s Sarah Polley that truly stands out in the newer film.

Both endings are bleak. The original had the survivors boarding a helicopter with limited fuel. The remake had them floating out on a lake. In quick cut editing we get an idea of what happens to the survivors in the remake during the credits.  Personally, I really would have loved to see a sequel to the remake. It was talked about for years, but now that it’s been almost 8 years it looks unlikely.

Ultimately with a remake you want to tell the story from the original and update the story. Maybe you change a few elements, add some characters, tweak the ending etc. In my opinion the remake of “Dawn” did absolutely everything right. I consider it to be an excellent film equal to the original classic. What we have here are two excellent movies that can be watched over and over.

“Dawn of the Dead” 1978   8 (out of 10)
“Dawn of the Dead” 2004    7.9

Enjoy these films, just don’t get bitten.

Tad Wymer