Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Joby Harold
Starring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Nora Arnezeder
Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout, some sexual content and brief nudity/graphic nudity
Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes (!)
In theaters currently, on Netflix May 21

by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, The Red Herring

One thing that Zack Snyder must be given credit for in asking you to watch a two and a half hour zombie film is that the first 15 minutes will tell you whether to keep watching. We open with newlyweds driving out of Las Vegas celebrating their nuptials, and cross cut to a military convoy where two soldiers are speculating about what is in the box they are hauling across the desert. The wife decides to continue the celebration by pleasuring her new husband while he drives, which proves to be a society-altering mistake, as it unleashes a zombie who promptly heads to Las Vegas after having a few snacks. The opening is cynical, crass, and shot with medium focus in an environment that is very brown, all things that, more or less, describe the movie as a whole. If you hate it, you’re better off shutting the movie off there.

For those that soldier on, Army of the Dead may still leave much to be desired, while also laying it all on the table. The main plot–the ‘Aliens, but a heist during a zombie outbreak’ idea that the advertising is focused on–is buried behind a wall of backstory that feels extraneous at best. It feels as though this was adapted from a beloved novel where the iconic scenes needed to be preserved to serve the fans. Except, of course, this is an original screenplay. Take the opening sequence, for example. Zombies are such an established genre that we don’t need to spend any time setting up this particular apocalypse. None of this exposition really amounts to all that much in the end.

There are fun moments sprinkled throughout, but the runtime is such that, despite the ticking clock the characters are up against, there is almost zero tension at any point. Even with all of the additional backstory for each character, there’s really not much there that gives me any deep feelings when any of them meet their ultimate fate. Some screenplays are astounding for their narrative efficiency, but this is actually the opposite. Bautista isn’t a revelation, but he carries the story aptly, bringing a good mix of personality and warmth to his character, and I hope he gets offered more leading roles.

The most surprising thing about Army of the Dead is how little of Snyder’s signature style comes through. He occasionally throws in some speed ramping or slow motion, but most of the action feels rote for someone who made his mark trying to capture the feeling of comic book splash pages on screen. These style choices would make Army stand out more, but when used sparingly, it only serves to make it feel more generic. Maybe this is a byproduct of Snyder acting as his own cinematographer this time?

Also adding to the generic feeling is the lack of thematic weight in the film. There’s some nods to current politics, but it all feels like window dressing. The trailer to the original Dawn of the Dead is maybe too on the nose with the narration describing that film as a “horrible, hauntingly accurate vision of the mindless excesses of a society gone mad,” but at least that’s something. While Snyder does give a lot of attention to the idea of living with trauma, it is treated more as a character trait than any sort of commentary. It’s a fascination more than an exploration.

As a shallow action movie with a zombie backdrop, Army of the Dead functions well enough. But it is a mark against anyone using the term ‘visionary’ to describe Zack Snyder.