There was a lot of talk in 2002 that Danny Boyle was going to "reinvent zombie horror" with the release of "28 Days Later". While the talented Mr. Boyle had indeed endeavored to create a worthy update of the genre, "Later" degenerated into a generic shoot 'em up with a more political agenda. But there's only so much you can do with a zombie movie. So what would it even mean then to say that George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead" is the best zombie film ever made? I suppose it would at least have to live up to certain criteria:
1. Lots of scares. Mr. Romero isn't breaking any new ground here. There's only so many ways to freak out an audience numbed by years of "Friday the 13th" and its progeny. But "Land" delivers the goods. There are plenty of false frights and genuine jump-out-of-your-seat moments. Mr. Romero is very aware of the rules of the genre he all but invented with 1968's "Night of the Living Dead" (and continued with "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead") and he still works it well.
2. Plenty of zombie mayhem. This one "Land" has in spades. Mr. Romero is working with state-of-the-art makeup effects, and he's not interested in selling out to make his film accessible. This movie is a "hard R". There's plenty of blood, gore and viscera to go around, both for the zombies and the audience. Here, "Land" is sure to please die-hard fans and newbies alike. Interestingly, the zombie headshots (necessary to kill the beasts) are starting to look more like the video games which were originally inspired by the films.
3. A hearty helping of satire. Mr. Romero, it seems, doesn't think much of human nature. In "Land", even in a world overrun by zombies, human beings fall back on a class system. The Trump-esque Kaufman runs a luxury high-rise called Fiddler's Green (no doubt a Nero reference) which is home to the wealthiest elite. Those without the means are forced to struggle to survive within the fences surrounding the Green. I don't know who convinced Dennis Hopper to take the role of Kaufman, but hearing him say "Zombies…they really creep me out" while picking his nose is nearly worth the price of admission.
4. More than just the same old zombies. Here's where Mr. Romero strikes gold. While the zombies in "28 Days Later" were frighteningly fast, Mr. Romero's creatures have always been lumbering hunks of decaying flesh. Not much has changed there; the zombies still drag their feet and moan for more meat. However, Mr. Romero's inspiration is to give the beasties the ability to learn. Zombies have always been mindless corpses. Now, led by the eerily caring Big Daddy (Eugene Clark, doing the most emoting ever by an actor in an undead role), the zombies begin to think. They communicate, strategize and (uh-oh) pick up guns. They're still not the brightest bulbs on the tree, but they show potential.
So, it seems, does the "Dead" franchise. While "Land", like most horror films, falls short in the character department (Simon Baker makes a competent hero), and there's an out-of-place morality to its ending, the film sets up some interesting possibilities for the continuation of Mr. Romero's vision. The "Dead" series, it seems, is still alive and kicking.
