**This article is mostly spoiler-free but proceed with caution. Scenes from marketing might be mentioned.**
Army of the Dead is the latest in the line of zombie movies. I’ll admit I have a soft spot for anything to do with the undead. You give me two and a half hours of people fighting zombies and I’ll eat it up no matter how bad it is. Whether it’s World War Z or Anna and the Apocalypse, I’ll find something to enjoy.
After years of directing tentpole comic book blockbusters, Zack Snyder’s turned his attention back to the beginning. His directorial debut was the Dawn of the Dead remake, written by The Suicide Squad’s James Gunn.
Love him or hate him, Snyder is like the cinematic marmite. But, with Army of the Dead, he brings a different voice to a genre plagued with slow-moving, easy to kill undead.
That’s not an issue with this movie. Much like Act Two’s pace, some of these zombies are what would happen if The Matrix featured zombies. They’re smart and they’re fast, and that makes them more frightening.
If that isn’t scary enough, there’s also a zombie tiger. If I could call a CGI zombie tiger the MVP of the movie, I would, because it is. There is a sequence with it that’ll leave you… cheering for it.
Army of the Dead certainly isn’t afraid to take risks.
Dave Bautista is a performer I’ll never tire of watching. From WWE to Hollywood, he’s made a name for himself and it’s rightfully so. His performance in this movie is nothing sort of great as he plays a character with PTSD due to events you’re quickly thrown into.
Ella Purnell plays Bautista’s daughter, but she’s a character in her own right. Her very first scene makes you root for her, and the relationship with her father is the heart and soul of the movie. There is a bright future ahead for this talented actress, and I only wish it could have been as Claire Redfield in the upcoming Resident Evil movie.
Even though this is an ensemble movie, the rest of the cast gets their own spotlight. The majority of them have their own arcs and the performers bounce off one another well. This goes doubly for Omari Hardwick and Matthias Schweighöfer who have comedic, but also poignant moments, throughout.
Army of the Dead is building a universe with an anime and live-action prequel already announced. If this is Zack Snyder’s future, then I will be along for the ride.
You can watch Army of the Dead in select theatres in the US and on Netflix everywhere.
