Land of the Dead
Land of the Dead is billed as the Ultimate Zombie Masterpiece. While I don’t agree with that hype, as far as zombie movies go, this one’s not bad. More descriptive titles could include Zombies! Armed and Dangerous, Zombies With Guns!, Zombie Armageddon!, or The Undead Learn to Think.
Anyone who has ever seen a zombie movie knows that everyone dies. There’s not much hope against the army of the undead. If you’re evil, then your death is a sure thing. Sometimes the hero gets to live, sometimes the hero becomes a zombie. Land of the Dead asks the question, "What happens after decades of zombies becoming the majority of the population?" In this movie, pockets of humans survive in apocalyptic times by living in fenced cities, or for the rich, in the ultra-mall high rise. (You all know how zombies are drawn to malls, right?)
We learn that after some time has passed, zombies start to act as if they were still human. Gas station attendant zombie, Big Daddy, has started to pump gas once again. Big Daddy even knows when he’s being watched. And it’s Big Daddy that has learned to communicate to other zombies through a new form of zombie language. Mostly moans but some yells thrown in for good measure. Yes, the zombies are learning to think. After all, food is scarce and it’s time for some zombie evolution.
I was listening to a radio interview yesterday with Land of the Dead star, John Leguizamo. It was a short interview but Leguizamo defended the movie and referred to it as a social commentary with poetic justice. (I’m paraphrasing here but it was close to that) And you know what? The movie did have that element about it but you have to be taking it far too seriously to get that much out of it. Sadly, as far as zombie movies go, Land of the Dead is sort of a big yawn. No one jumped, guts are guts, and zombies survive.
If you’re like me, you’ll have probably already seen this movie. Fans of zombie movies, we just can’t help ourselves, and we answer the call. If you haven’t seen it yet, well, the zombies have guns. That about sums it up.
Anyone who has ever seen a zombie movie knows that everyone dies. There’s not much hope against the army of the undead. If you’re evil, then your death is a sure thing. Sometimes the hero gets to live, sometimes the hero becomes a zombie. Land of the Dead asks the question, "What happens after decades of zombies becoming the majority of the population?" In this movie, pockets of humans survive in apocalyptic times by living in fenced cities, or for the rich, in the ultra-mall high rise. (You all know how zombies are drawn to malls, right?)
We learn that after some time has passed, zombies start to act as if they were still human. Gas station attendant zombie, Big Daddy, has started to pump gas once again. Big Daddy even knows when he’s being watched. And it’s Big Daddy that has learned to communicate to other zombies through a new form of zombie language. Mostly moans but some yells thrown in for good measure. Yes, the zombies are learning to think. After all, food is scarce and it’s time for some zombie evolution.
I was listening to a radio interview yesterday with Land of the Dead star, John Leguizamo. It was a short interview but Leguizamo defended the movie and referred to it as a social commentary with poetic justice. (I’m paraphrasing here but it was close to that) And you know what? The movie did have that element about it but you have to be taking it far too seriously to get that much out of it. Sadly, as far as zombie movies go, Land of the Dead is sort of a big yawn. No one jumped, guts are guts, and zombies survive.
If you’re like me, you’ll have probably already seen this movie. Fans of zombie movies, we just can’t help ourselves, and we answer the call. If you haven’t seen it yet, well, the zombies have guns. That about sums it up.
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