REVIEW Army of the Dead
Zack Snyder’s return to the zombie genre is a promising start for Netflix’s new big franchise.
In 2004, Zack Snyder made his feature-length debut with Dawn of the Dead, a film that contributed to the resurgence of the zombie genre alongside Resident Evil (whose success prompted Universal to green-light George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead) and 28 Days Later. It was a slick, confident debut, whose one major flaw, as explained by horror aficionado and zombie expert Simon Pegg, was sharing a title with Romero’s masterwork and thus inviting comparisons when it came to the socio-political content.
Seventeen years later, Snyder is at it again, but this time he’s unencumbered by the Romero of it all: Army of the Dead is very much its own thing, although one imagines the creator of the modern zombie would have enjoyed a film that expands on the notion of hierarchies in the world of the living dead, with more intelligent ghouls being in control of the more brainless hordes (pun not intended).
As imagined by Snyder, the invasion of the living dead was limited to Las Vegas, which was effectively sealed off and quarantined after reports of the initial outbreak. The government has announced that the city will be nuked in 96 hours, eliminating the zombie threat once and for all. Businessman Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) enlists former mercenary Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) to retrieve a substantial amount of money from his casino vault inside quarantine zone, promising a substantial reward for the effort. Scott accepts, and puts together a crew to pull off the heist while surrounded by zombies.
What happens next is gleefully unadulterated Snyder: unburdened by corporate constraints for the first time, the director plays by his own rules, which include setting up scenes that do not happen (one intriguing piece of zombie lore will presumably be explored elsewhere, as Netflix has already given its seal of approval to a whole franchise based on this world) and being as joyously unsubtle as possible with the needle drops (the use of Viva Las Vegas in the opening credits is both expected and brilliant). And for those still believing Snyder may have right-wing sympathies, a cameo by Sean Spicer (yes, the Sean Spicer) ought to put such talk to rest once and for all.
Having used is superhero movies to explore more philosophical themes, the filmmaker is more interested in the pure genre exercise this time around (if anything, the more character-driven moments do occasionally slow down proceedings, similar to when 300 added a political subplot absent in the source material). And it’s an exercise in every sense of the word: barring one scene of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, this is the first time the director has worked with digital cameras, and the first time he’s served as his own cinematographer.
This leads to a slightly less polished look compared to his more recent films, but it works as part of the overall aesthetic of a piece that is more urgent and grounded after the mythological take on DC heroes. The one notable use of CGI, and only in select shots where the digital seams are a bit noticeable, is the insertion of Tig Notaro in all scenes that originally featured disgraced comedian Chris D’Elia (a masterstroke, since she is a better performer and almost singlehandedly steals the show in a way he never would have).
On the whole, it’s an exhilarating experience that opens multiple doors: a prequel directed by and starring Matthias Schweighöfer is already in post-production, and Snyder is reteaming with animation professional Jay Oliva for an animated series detailing the early days of the zombie outbreak. At long last, Netflix has its first viable in-house big budget franchise, and if the results are even half as fun as the first instalment, we’re in for an undead treat.
Army of the Dead (USA 2021, 148 minutes)
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Joby Harold
Producers: Deborah Snyder, Wesley Coller, Zack Snyder
Music: Tom Holkenborg
Cast: Dave Bautista, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Garret Dillahunt, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De la Reguera, Nora Arnezeder, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer
Distributor: Netflix (streaming)