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June 30, 2005

Review: George A. Romero's Land of the Dead

There are moments that define individuals, and there are moments that define generations. I can't say yet whether George A. Romero's Land of the Dead is definitive in either of those ways, but I can say that it is unquestionably the high watermark of the zombie film genre.

Given the fact that twenty years have elapsed between Day of the Dead and LotD's premiere, and understanding that through most of the intervening years, a fourth installment to Romero's Dead series looked unlikely if not impossible, it would be difficult to overstate how high the expecations of the faithful were upon the current film's release. That said, I can honestly say that I wasn't even slightly disappointed by the experience. It really is safe to believe the hype.

The conceptual heart of the film is adaptation. Just as the surviving humans have adapted to life after the advent of the zombie apocalypse, so too do the zombies begin to adapt to their post-human existence. It's an intriguing idea that comes up in unexpected ways throughout the entire film.

The acting is a tremendous step up from previous entries in the series (which were all fanstastic, save for some over-the-top supporting characters in Dawn and Day). John Leguizamo, who I normally hate, is note perfect as the pseudo-terrorist anti-hero, Cholo. Even Dennis Hopper keeps the scene chewing to a bare minimum as the corrupt founder of one outpost of post-zombie civilzation. Asia Argento is flawless in her role as a hot chick.

Some will disagree, but I think top acting honors should go to Eugene Clark, whose "Big Daddy" is the zombie who leads the hordes in their attack on the city, and who teaches the others how to use tools and weapons, representing the next step in the creatures' development. There are a couple of moments when Big Daddy even euthenizes some of his compatriots who are on their way to suffering a fate worse than their fate worse than death. His performance is entirely sympathetic, and almost single-handedly conveys the substance of Romero's central allegory of disenfranchisement.

I confess to having had doubts when early drafts of the script centered on an armed and armored anti-zombie tank (well in advance of the appearance of a similar idea in the recent Dawn of the Dead remake). The vehicle, called "Dead Reckoning" (which was the film's original working title), seemed a little too beyond thunderdome for a genre film. In execution, however, Romero did a fantastic job of motivating the use of the vehicle as a natural way of adapting to life after the global zombie disaster.

Lastly, I would be entirely remiss if I didn't say how spectacular the gore was. Both the zombie kills, and the feeding scenes were nothing short of brilliant. I don't want to give anything away (although you really should check out the extra gory trailer I linked to a while ago), but it suffices to say that gorehounds will not be disappointed by either the quantity or quality of grue.

Also, genre fans should keep their eyes peeled for cameos by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) who don't appear to have fared very well after their own undead encounters across the pond, as well as a familiar face from the original Dawn.

I really can't say enough great things about this film. I couldn't find anything not to love. All I can do is thank Mr. Romero for fully delivering on the promise of two decades, and for presenting a true masterpiece.

Posted by matt at June 30, 2005 09:18 AM

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