This is a fast – paced remake of George A Romero’s zombie classic. This time Zack Snyder is the director at the helm and he provides us with a glossy, witty piece for the MTV generation. Like any other typical zombie movie everything begins pretty normally and even mundane. Sarah Polley plays Ana a hospital nurse oblivious to news reports of a mysterious plague that has afflicted the city. We see her in a nice leafy green suburbia in anytown USA. Stark colour is used to nice effect with Polley’s bright blue nurses uniform contrasting with the hospital which is bathed in green, other staff are clad in bright purple and white. The camera angles convey a growing sense of unease. The film starts slowly but soon takes a nasty turn, as even a sweet little blonde girl becomes a terrifying monster. Contentment and domesticity and routine soon descend into desperation, panic and horror. The viewer is in for a thrill ride as you find yourself asking what would I do in this situation? The safety net of family and friends has been removed, as no one is immune from the plague. The world is turned upside down.

The camera draws away to reveal a scene of utter destruction and chaos. The mood is apocalyptic and the authorities are portrayed as impotent and powerless in the face of this new threat. Before the film becomes too bleak and unbearable Ana seeks refuge in the deserted shopping mall, which is eerie and sterile like a village in itself. This is a nice touch as it’s the place where Americans would probably usually find themselves on a normal day, here the film uses it to comment on our increasingly consumerist society. It is both funny and disturbing to see hordes of zombies arrive at the shopping centre replacing the hordes of shoppers (there is probably not that much difference between the two). Polley is excellent as Ana and her sense of fear is very believable, we buy into her being an independent and savvy person doing her best to be resourceful and to survive. She is not on her own for too long and is joined by Kenneth (Ving Rhames) an ex marine and now a cop, Andre (Mekhi Phifer) a former street thug turned family man and a few other poor souls. The shopping mall becomes a place of sanctuary and a makeshift fortress where our disparate group attempt to hold out. Armed as best they can our heroes take to the roof and take pot shots at the swelling numbers of zombies below. The film introduces some (sick) humour as they play a game of shooting celebrity look-alike zombies! They communicate with a fellow human under siege on the neighbouring rooftop by message boards and binoculars as telephones have become redundant. The claustrophobia and the sense of impending doom are nicely countered with touches of humour and this saves this film from being just another standard horror. It is dark and it is gory but because we can empathise with the central characters you find yourself getting drawn in and enjoying it with its unexpected twists and gags. You do not have to be a fan of the genre to enjoy this film, which is as high a compliment that I can pay it. Great fun!

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