This Army of the Dead review may contain minor spoilers…
You may not know this, but Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead had been in development hell at Warner Bros ever since it was announced in 2007. It wasn’t until Netflix purchased the rights to Army of the Dead in 2019 that any progress was made on the film. But then, all of a sudden, things were full steam ahead. It landed on Netflix this week after just two years in production. It kind of makes you wonder what Warner Bros were delaying for all these years.
Of course, there’s always an air of caution around a film that has spent so long in development hell. More often than not they aren’t worth the wait. But, Army of the Dead does come with a unique twist on the traditional zombie flick. And it’s from Zack Snyder, who directed 2004’s lauded Dawn of the Dead remake. Not only that, but it has Dave Bautista (my all time favourite wrestler) as its leading man and a pretty great supporting cast to boot. So, has Army of the Dead got anything to show for itself after 14 years in development?
Army of the Dead Review – Story
Let’s face it – the zombie craze of the late noughties and early 2010s has long since passed. In 2021, zombie movies have to do something really special to stand out and justify their existence. Unfortunately, Army of the Dead‘s story feels distinctly 2007. That’s not because it’s bad. I mean, it’s perfectly decent. But while it’s distinct enough for 2007 (when people were eating up anything “zombie”) it isn’t for 2021. The trouble is, it doesn’t go far enough to redefine the genre for the new decade. It’s just kind of “there”.
Premise
Unlike most zombie films – and quite refreshingly – Army of the Dead actually shows you how the plague starts in its opening minutes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty generic: human weapon engineered with alien DNA escapes military convoy en-route to Area 51 near Las Vegas. But at least we know what the crack is and the film isn’t using that mystery as a crutch like many others do. Anyway, “Zeus” (said human weapon turned alpha zombie king) infects a couple of soldiers who proceed to march on Las Vegas. From here, the city falls as the military and Scott Ward’s (Dave Bautista) mercenary group “Las Vengeance” try and fail to eliminate the hordes of undead. As a last resort, the city is quarantined with makeshift barrier of shipping containers.
At the beginning of the film, the zombie plague has been (somewhat) contained and successfully managed. This changes when Scott Ward (now a chef in a burger joint) is approached by Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) to get together a crew, infiltrate Vegas and his casino, and extract the $200 million dollars sat in its vault. As a concept, it’s interesting. Unsurprisingly, though, what follows is a generic recruitment montage as Ward pieces together his team.
Characters
So, Dave Bautista is pretty great as Ward in Army of the Dead. Despite having quite a generic backstory (troubled soldier with estranged daughter), he injects a fantastic mixture of humanity, pain, strength and humour into the role. It’s a testament to how well the ex-wrestler has pivoted to being an actor.
Ward’s crew comprises of Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), Maria Cruz (Ana de la Reguera), Ludwig Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), Lily (Nora Arnezeder), Marianne Peters (Tig Notaro), Mikey Guzman (Raúl Castillo), and Chambers (Samantha Win). They’re also joined by the scheming Martin (Garret Dillahunt) – Tanaka’s right hand man. And Burt Cummings (Theo Rossi) – an abusive Vegas refugee camp security guard. Finally, there’s Kate Ward (Ella Purnell). She’s Scott’s daughter, who he reluctantly agrees to take inside the Las Vegas walls.
While each are perfectly good in their respective roles and are well cast, their characters are significantly underdeveloped. It’s perhaps Army of the Dead‘s biggest problem. The only trait any of them have (outside Scott and his daughter) is the role they’re designed to fill on the team. OK – some of them are funny, others arrogant or scared. But there is very little that defines them outside of their designated archetype. What attempts there are at character/relationship building are either entirely predictable or completely out of the blue, there’s no in-between. The third act revelation from Cruz being a prime example.
Army of the Dead review – Genre and Tone
Army of the Dead is fun. It’s also over-the-top and silly. Oh, and it’s kind of dark and scary, too. The trouble is, it isn’t well balanced.
Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead, both firmly grounded in the zombie genre, committed to comedy with fantastic results. The latter became an all time classic movie in the process. Army of the Dead, on the other hand, can’t decide if it wants to commit to comedy or dark action horror. As a result, it doesn’t do either enough or successfully. And while it is enjoyable, it left me scratching my head wondering what exactly I just watched.
Army of the Dead is a heist movie, too. And while that’s its biggest selling point, it’s also another missed opportunity. Typically, you expect some kind of complex plan that the protagonists need to masterfully and skilfully pull off. Here, it’s much simpler. Kill zombies, open vault (which is apparently easy thanks to Ludwig), and fly away. The tension only mounts with a couple of predictable twists at the end of the second act. And sure, Zeus and his zombies help raise the stakes. But he’s the only credible threat. His zombie pals are easily dispatched throughout.
Army of the Dead review – Verdict
At 148 minutes, Army of the Dead undoubtedly overstays its welcome. It’s generic, predictable and confused about what it’s trying to be. As a result, you’re left with a simplistic film that does nothing new. That said, it is fun to watch as a film you don’t really have to think about. The gore and action will satisfy adrenaline junkies. And its concept, while under-utilised, is still pretty interesting. I certainly wouldn’t advise you against watching Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. But if you’re hoping for Ocean’s Eleven with zombies, Army of the Dead will leave you disappointed.
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
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Featured image credit: Netflix
