Army of the Dead Review

Even after revisiting some of the greatest zombie movies ever made, my appetite for undead carnage has persisted. Enter Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. AOTD follows a band of mercenaries, led by the hulking Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), as they attempt to recover $200 million from a casino vault within an overrun Las Vegas. While the movie contains an abundance of gore and overstimulating action, it misses the mark in several key areas. As excessive as the movie is, it lacks the punch that Snyder’s first zombie film (Dawn of the Dead) had. Ultimately, Army of the Dead proves that less is sometimes more.

Firstly, the comedic elements in Army of the Dead are hit or miss. Zack Snyder does a great job creating visual comedy. The kinetic opening credit sequence and the booby trap scene being prime examples of this. Matthias Schweighöfer also provides some funny, light-hearted moments as Ludwig Dieter. Despite this, there are instances where the comedy feels forced and out of place. Army of the Dead obviously aims for a humorous tone, but when every character interaction ends with a facetious comment or snarky one-liner, it starts to become tedious. You know the character depth is thin when the zombies have more personality than most of the humans.

Likewise, many of the dramatic scenes in Army of the Dead feel unnatural. The final moment between Ludwig and Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick) is ridiculous. I thought the cliché “NOOOO!” scene had died out long ago, but Army of the Dead proved me wrong: and this one’s also in slow-motion. However, the strained relationship between Scott and his daughter Kate (Ella Purnell) serves as an effective dramatic storyline throughout the movie. The last scene between the two also helped complete each of their character arcs, giving the film a nice sense of finality.

Admittedly, some of my criticisms come down to personal preference. If you’re a fan of Zack Snyder’s body of work, then you’ll probably like the film. Even so, comparisons between Army of the Dead to Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead were bound to happen. While the two are very different movies, it’s no question as to which one is better. Dawn of the Dead is one of the greatest horror remakes of all time and acts as a worthy successor to George A. Romero’s original film. Army of the Dead has a lot of promise, but it never pushes past mediocrity. Still, their were many things the movie did well.

For starters, the opening credit sequence is masterfully executed. The movie begins with a chaotic montage of the dead overtaking Las Vegas while ‘Viva Las Vegas’ ironically plays in the background. Featuring Vegas showgirls, an Elvis impersonator, and plenty of visceral gore, Army of the Dead’s opening may be the best part of the movie. The intro sequence also cleverly introduces the movie’s main characters as they fight to escape the city. Too, the brief political commentary in the film was very amusing, but it could further expanded on. The unnamed president in Army of the Dead wants to nuke Las Vegas on the 4^th of July, remarking that it would be “very cool” and “actually kind of patriotic if you think about it.” Kind of reminds me of a particular orange-skinned fellow.

The cinematography in Army of the Dead is tremendous as well. Certain shots and images look like they’ve been ripped straight out of a graphic novel, making AOTD feel like an epic zombie odyssey. The movie introduces some unique concepts into zombie lore, namely the classification between ‘alphas’ and ‘shamblers’. The shamblers are the normal mindless zombies we all know and love, whereas the alphas are intelligent, possessing both superhuman strength and agility. Better summed up by Lily (Nora Arnezeder), “straight out of your f***ing nightmares.” I’m interested to see if/how this concept develops as more zombie movies are made.

Altogether, while Army of the Dead has its share of highs and lows, it’s entertaining nonetheless. In a time where blockbusters have virtually ceased to exist, Zack Snyder brings movie-goers a welcome gift. Let’s hope Army of the Dead is a starting point for what’s to come.

Army of the Dead is now available to stream on Netflix.