Land of the Dead (2005)

We begin the movie seeing zombies milling around aimlessly, suggesting that they have spent way too much time unable to do what they mostly love to do, which is feed. Apparently, the inactivity was so endless, the zombies began to retake their former lives and carry out certain aspects of it. Meanwhile, civilization is not completely lost. There is a haven that is called "Fiddler's Green" which is owned and operated by a business mogul named Kaufman, who has been able to continue his trade, even in the face of humanity's total annihilation and provides divided shelter to anyone that is left alive. He has assembled an army of mercenaries, military men and even police officers to ensure some type of order in his empire, and these same people are the ones trusted with the task of scouring for whatever resources they can find deep within enemy lines. Enter our leading men; Riley, Cholo and Charlie. Riley and Charlie representing the good nature that is still preserved in man and Cholo continuing the time honored tradition of greed and mistrust. Longer story short, Kaufman summons the fury of Cholo by treating him like a total peon, after Cholo had the notion that he would be able to join Fiddler's Green's finest living arrangements and become part of the respected elite but Kaufman declines his solicitation, proving that elitism and social class distinction is still alive and well. Cholo seeks comeuppance a different way, by stealing the Green's most powerful vehicle "Dead Reckoning" which is designed to repel a strong zombie attack and holds it for ransom, with the intention of cheating Kaufman out of both his money and car, just like Kaufman cheated Cholo out of a better life. Riley is summoned to retrieve both Cholo and Dead Reckoning by Kaufman, considering Riley designed Dead Reckoning and is closer to Cholo than anyone left in the Green. Riley takes Charlie and a lady who was rescued by both from being eaten by zombies and they go pursue Cholo. Kaufman has sent 3 soldiers with Riley, who are instructed to take Dead Reckoning back, but also dispose of Riley because like Cholo, he also reflects dissent in Kaufman's utopia. Riley succeeds in taking back Dead Reckoning, leaving Cholo to fend for himself and choose his own path, as he no longer wishes to be part of any team. All throughout this, the zombies had actually managed to kill off surrounding patrols and cross a river in order to get to Fiddler's, proving that they have indeed evolved and develop limited but effective cognitive skills. Fiddler's Green becomes under siege and Kaufman becomes a casualty, thanks to Cholo himself and Riley and his team finish off the remaining threat, and proceed to find less secluded but secure locations in Canada.The movie has strong points and goes a different direction by allowing zombies to actually communicate and rationalize. Personally, I loved it. Here are the only 2 points I didn't like about this film, though: The ending. The movie was awesome in its darker and hopeless tone, it gave you a feeling of actual doom. Even though that the zombies have become more aware, they are still relatively evil and naturally inclined to eliminate whatever is left human. So why let a rather large population of them roam around when you're looking for a safer place? The movies themselves have said it: As long as we're alive, they will never run out of food. As long as they're around, there ARE NO safer places. They are not animals. Animals have the capacity to show emotion, compassion and even love. Zombies, no matter how progressed they are, are by all means unable to develop these traits. Their survival instincts may improve but ultimately their purpose should not change as their bodies have wasted away whatever humanity they had left. Pretty questionable move on Romero in the end, but since the movie barely shows any real heart, Im guessing this was done to make up for that. The second point I disagreed with was the dialogue. In Night, Dawn and Day, it seemed to tie the movie together, to have characters show a sense of rationality or reasoning as to why this has happened, thus making us sympathize with them in their situation. Here in Land, it's nowhere to be found. The Riley character was pretty weak and it made you wonder how Bub, who could not speak as he was a zombie in Day, made you bawl your eyes out in his performance, and yet Simon Baker who has a leading role could not. Asia Argento is in this movie but her character is really not that important to the story. I will end this by saying that I love the movie. For what it is, it is pretty good, I mean it is still better than any zombie stuff made around the time it came out, most notably Resident Evil, which degenerated after the 2nd installment and definitely way better than Diary of the Dead, which came after it but it relied on the overused hand-held horror technique. Survival of the Dead was just a horror spoof of a horror classic. One thing this movie continues to emphasize: The ego and pride of man continue to be his worst enemy. You know humanity is in trouble when after 40 years of horror, the zombies have managed to come together for a purpose and end up overtaking the seemingly smarter humans. Nice one, Mr. Romero.

When I watch Land of the Dead, being a tremendous fan of the original trilogy, I can't help but think that director George Romero is showing us what we all ask about Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain; with what and where would they be taking their respective genres and artistry if they hadn't met an unfortunate and abrupt end. We wonder if Hendrix would have taken a path more directed at blues or whether Kurt Cobain would have broken off and created more mature and thoughtful solo material. We won't ever know, but with Romero we are luckily able to see what paths he has taken to evolve and shift with the new age of horror and cinematic elements. With Land of the Dead, we aren't just watching the latest tale in zombie horror, we're watching an author and artist evolve, utilizing new skills and painting an apocalyptic and grim landscape with a couple new tricks. Witnessing the unveiling of this new piece isn't without its pangs and pitfalls however. The overuse of CGI elements strips us of that authenticity that Romero established with Night of the Living Dead. I mean, the zombies hanging severed head flipping up to bite its victim is eye rolling, as is all the digital bloody head shots, but it's the execution that's at fault here; what we have is a director testing out new materials and it's a whole lot of fun watching him work. There are some unbelievable set pieces here, oozing with a decayed atmosphere that only masterful brush strokes could create. We are also given some of the goriest and entrail ripping death scenes to date, and for that I say "I'm not worthy!"With Land of the Dead, we are lucky enough to be able to feast our eyes on a man at work who has started from a patch work crew and equipment in Night of the Living Dead to a much larger budget. Laying the groundwork for not only an entire genre but filmmakers to come, George Romero continues to evolve and push using a larger canvas and the practice of incorporating new cinematic tools, albeit a bit to our dismay. However, as a huge fan of the legend and the work he has produced, I can forgive a couple of missteps to be able to slip into a truly fun and inspired world crafted by one of the greatest in the business.

Land of the Dead (2005): Dir: George A. Romero / Cast: Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Robert Joy: Sickening horror film symbolizing the downfall of society. The dead are alive but this time they are slowly learning to think for themselves therefore becoming more dangerous. Had they been able to think for themselves, then perhaps they would be involved in a film better than this one. We see victims eaten alive in gory detail by zombies as well as humans executing them. We never learn where these creatures come from and the problem is not so much solved as it is accepted. George Romero directed four of these films including the overrated black and white original Night of the Living Dead. He is skilled at delivering the lifestyles of zombies but fails in creative human characters. Simon Baker as the hero is totally flat. He apparently created a weapon called Dead Reckoning for which he now must retrieve. Dennis Hopper as the rich human tyrant is the best role. He rules the city not realizing that it will all come undone. John Leguizamo is interesting as he develops a scam against Hopper in answer to cheated services. Asia Argento is reduced to a prop. She is first rescued from potential zombie sacrifice. Robert Joy is also cast as one of the guys accompanying Baker for a little zombie safari hunt. Designed as a graphic rush for pointless carnage. Score: 4 / 10

Everyone was surprised that after 20 years George Romero announced he'd be making another sequel in his DEAD series. Personally, I wondered how it would be in comparison to his original trilogy. It was opening night, the theater was packed, the lights went out, and the movie began. Now the story: Some time has passed since the zombie plague started. The country has been decimated and large groups have banded together into cities. In one city, the looks mysteriously like Pittsburgh, the rich, headed by Kaufman (Dennis Hopper,) have taken over a high-rise called Fiddler's Green. The poor are left on the streets with gambling, vices and filth. Every so often, a roving band of raiders goes out to collect supplies. As the film opens, we meet the raiders as they attempt to raid a small town. The raiders, headed by Riley Denbo (Simon Baker,) have discovered that the zombies are learning to be human again. They can grunt to each other to communicate and have started learning how to use tools, weapons and strategy. To make a long story short, tragedy befalls the raiders. Back in the city, one of the raiders named Cholo (John Leguizamo) has been secretly working for Kaufman. When Kaufman betrays their deal, Cholo decides to seek his revenge by stealing an armored truck, threatening to bomb the city unless Kaufman pays him $5 million. So Riley is sent out, along with some friends, to stop Cholo and get back the truck. Meanwhile, a large horde of zombies is slowly moving towards the city... And yes fellow gorehounds, there is a big bloody finale! Overall, I was pleased with the results. The tone, while horrific has a wicked humor streak. This is perhaps the only Romero film where the zombies are viewed as sympathetic and not just flesh-crazed monsters. The special effects and make-up are top-notch. Acting by all is superb. While some have questioned Romero's credibility as a horror director from this point on, I still say the man hasn't lost one iota of his talent. Case in point: I dare anyone to watch the scene where a man is eaten alive by three zombie clowns. So go ahead, I dare you to watch this movie!