Critic's Grade: A

In the horror genre, remakes are generally a hit-or-miss affair. Nothing is sacred when it comes to re-envisioning a classic, as we have seen with the late versions of "The Haunting"- not a terrible film on its own, but shoddy compared to its predecessor- and "Thir13en Ghosts," which dropped the original's 3-D viewing effect and replaced it with boredom and an ear-splitting soundtrack. The problem here is the decades-difference in time: audiences these days just aren't scared the way they used to be, primarily because we now live in a world where visual frights have taken over the horror genre, aided by expensive visuals and expendable characters.

But there are exceptions to the generally accepted hit-or-miss rule, the most prominent in my mind being last year's reinvention of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," which took the October box office by storm with its faithful incarnation of the Tobe Hooper classic. The remake's director, feature first-timer Marcus Nispel, took a few liberties with the source material, but his ability to give us the shivers reminded us of why the original has become such a genre staple. Chalk it up to good old-fashioned know-how: Nispel knew what made the first film tick, and used it to his advantage in creating his own bloody masterpiece (dodging bricks now).

Enter Zack Snyder, who chose to tackle the much-beloved "Dawn of the Dead" for his big-screen premiere. Ever since its release back in the late 70's, George A. Romero's original cult classic of unrated violence and human metaphor has developed a following that could rival that of most other movies. It has seen numerous home video and international theatrical releases, in both a toned-down version as well as an extended director's cut. To this day, it still escapes me how the United Kingdom could put a ban on Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs," yet allow Romero's bloodbath to go into distribution. Seriously, though: what's so different about watching a man get his foot blown off from watching another man have his chewed up in an explicit close-up?

It is my guess that most people who venture out to see Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead" will have little-to-no familiarity with the original film. The audience I viewed the film with was comprised mostly of teenagers, with a handful of sure-fire Romero buffs dotting the rows of seats. This brought to my mind the question of just how Snyder had helmed the film: would he remain faithful to the original's vision and context, or would he sacrifice all of that in the hopes of attracting a wider audience? In this case, viewers will get to have their cake and eat it, too, for not only has Snyder given us a snappy, effective stand-alone horror film, he has revamped Romero's version in a way that does it justice without feeling like a rip-off. Hell, it was enough to make me want to revisit the first film- which I at first disliked immensely- and has given me a new appreciation and understanding of it. Not bad for a remake, eh?

As expected, there are some changes made to the new version's storyline that work completely in its favor. Gone is the opening scene that takes place in the news station, where mayhem was setting in as the undead were growing in vast numbers. In its stead, we jump right into the life of Ana (Sarah Polley), a young nurse whose hospital seems to be working overtime taking on infection patients. Her return home that evening is marked by the death of her boyfriend at the hands of her next-door neighbor, now a flesh-eating zombie; as she jumps in her car to flee, she witnesses the decimation of everything around her.

Some will quibble about such a change, but honestly, I think it works in the film's favor. While I now admire the original version, if there was one thing about it I would change, it would be the length. The entire opening sequence in the news station, which is followed by a S.W.A.T. team raid on a zombie-infested building, tended to feel drawn out. Here, Snyder remedies that by keeping things more succinct and to-the-point, jumping right into the action while being careful to make sure that we can bond with the characters on an emotional level.

As the plot progresses, Ana comes into contact with Kenneth (Ving Rhames), a hardened police officer; together, the two encounter Michael (Jake Weber), Andre (Mekhi Phifer), and his pregnant wife, Luda (Inna Korobkina). The threesome is making their way to an evacuated shopping mall, where they take refuge as the crowd of undead consistently grows in numbers all around them outside. Once inside, they find themselves at the mercy of a paranoid security guard (Michael Kelly) who takes no chances when it comes to containing the outside problem. As more people begin to show up and time becomes an issue, the group finds themselves working together to find a way to escape their predicament, with no clear destination and absolutely no relief from their attackers in sight.

As with the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake, "Dawn of the Dead" basically borrows the outline of the original's plot and uses it to create its own unique progression of events. But purists and devotees of Romero's version willing to put aside their inhibitions need not fear the worst: Snyder has taken great care to make sure that all that was grand about the first movie remains intact the second time around. Those who were dazzled by the terrific make-up and gore effects will find the ones employed here to be quite satisfying, and full of squeamish fun. Those who admired the above-par acting of the original's quartet of survivors will likely find that many of the cast members here, particularly Rhames and Weber, provide solid performances that rise above the expectations set forth by other entries into the horror genre.

But for me, the most enticing and satisfactory aspect of this version is its use of Romero's original allegory about the human race in times of crisis. Through the experiences of the characters as seen in this film, we have a much greater understanding of their motives, what drives them to do the things they do not want to do, but know they must. While there was this sort of underlying thematic element in Romero's film, it is my opinion that it has been heightened and bettered by Snyder's version.

As for the technical elements of the film, let's just say that it's easy to pinpoint what Snyder's been watching in his spare time in between takes. His gritty visual style and shaky camera movements are reminiscent of last year's incredible "28 Days Later," and it lends a great deal of force to the film. There are the requisite unbelievable moments and lapses in logic (could that bus really have survived that explosion that wiped out almost every zombie attempting to overturn it?), and yes, some characters make irrational, stupid decisions that feel like plot advancements at times. But in the face of everything that is absolutely wonderful about "Dawn of the Dead," it's easy to forgive and quickly forget. So chew on this, and have a good time.

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