Rating of
2.5/4
A Fun Ride That Could Have Used More BRAAAAAINS
Chris Kavan - wrote on 06/10/21
Zack Snyder is not stranger to heading up an action-packed zombie thrill ride - and while I'm not personally a fan of the "fast" zombie, I through the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead was a fine treat. Snyder returns to the genre with a heist film combined with plenty of undead (and perhaps something even more sinister) as Vegas becomes ground zero for the Army of the Dead.
So how does this stand up to Dawn of the Dead? Army of the Dead is definitely more tongue-in-cheek - I mean one of the main bad guys is a zombie tiger - and also plays more heaving on the action sequences. While it's a lot of fun - it's also not nearly as smart and is a movie you want to kind of switch your brain off to entertainment mode as it is filled to the brim with plot holes and questionable decisions all around. That being said, if you just want to watch people kill some zombies (or die trying), this scratches that itch.
The best part of Army of the Dead is the opening, well, after we find out how zombies got into Vegas. Once again, Snyder calls on lounge singer Richard Cheese (who so famously got a great scene in Dawn of the Dead with his version of "Down with the Sickness), with a little help from Allison Crowe, for their version of "Viva Las Vegas" as we see how the city goes from a few zombies to a lot of zombies and how people survive (including film lead Dave Bautista) and how the army tries to take back the city - and utterly fails. My favorite part is the paratroopers who are dropped in only to be immediately eaten - smooth move guys. In any case, this showcase and vignettes of various characters is the highlight of the film for me - fun, inventive, violent and it tells a nice, little story - one we're apparently going to get much more of in the form of a prequel series, so yay.
The meat of the story takes place well after the events. Vegas has been walled off, the zombies seemingly contained and the U.S. is about to nuke the whole place. Enter Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) who has a vault with a lot of money sitting in the middle of the strip and knows that Scott Ward (Bautista) can get things done. Thus, Ward goes about finding some people who want in on the deal including his friend Maria Cruz (Ana de la Reguera), the muscle Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), the safe-cracking wizard Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), a pair of zombie-killing influencers in Mikey Guzman (Raúl Castillo) and Chambers (Samantha Win) and a helicopter pilot (Tig Notaro). Tanaka also sends his head of security, Martin (Garret Dillahunt) along to help out. In order to get into Vegas itself, however, Ward must reconnect with his estranged daughter, Kate (Ella Purnell) who has been working at a refugee camp just outside the city. She has been distant ever since she experienced her father taking down her zombified mother. The two reunite and find a coyote, Lilly (Nora Arnezeder) to take them in - but Kate has her own agenda, finding her friend Geeta (Huma Qureshi) who went in but never came back out.
We soon find out that while many of the zombies in Vegas have simply dried out - it seems being in the sun too long has stopped them (though the Coyote says a bit of water can revive them) but the normal zombies aren't the problem - the alphas are. Led by Zeus (Richard Cetrone), these zombies are smart, strong and even seem to have formed their own society - and apparently can even have zombie babies (and no, I don't want to dwell on what kind of process that entrails). And they demand a sacrifice - luckily our crew brought along the sleazy guard Burt Cummings (Theo Rossi), who becomes their offering so that they may proceed deeper into the city.
The film manages to throw out interesting tidbits here and there, from zombies that are clearly robots to an intriguing "time loop" theory that may or may not go anywhere, There is something deeper going on - and, of course, the heist is only part of the story as we find out ulterior motives and desperate rescues are also on the menu. Still, for every moment that seems to hint at something deeper, I often just found myself shaking my head at the bone-headed decisions all around. A lot of hate has been directed at the character of Kate, but I think the "what-the-hell-are-you-doing" aspect is spread around pretty evenly between all the characters.
And you can't talk about the film without mentioning the Notaro's characters who had to be digitally inserted into pretty much every scene after the original actor who played the pilot, Chris D'Elia, was accused of sexual misconduct and essentially erased from the film. While an admirable decision, it is a bit jarring in some scenes as Notaro just feels a bit off in some instances. I appreciated the sardonic humor she brings (muck like she does in Star Trek Discovery) but the effects are never quite seamless.
Character-wise, Bautista does a good job at anchoring the film - a badass with some emotional baggage. My favorite character, however, has to be Dillahunt, who is refreshing to see playing the asshole after being such a nice guy on Fear the Walking Dead. And don't worry - asshole's always get what they deserve in the end.
Army of the Dead is a collection of bombastic action, hit-or-miss comedy and questionable decisions. It's not a terrible film, but I know I was hoping for something more polished. But, hey, if you like zombies, this is one of the more fun films to come out recently - just don't think too much on it.
