While I haven't been a fan of Snyder's for a very long time, I think he was a terrible choice for DC and still do, the one thing I did actually like was his very first movie, which was Dawn of the Dead, it was a remake that ended up being less of a remake, more its own thing using the mall setup, but generally I really liked it. So hearing he was returning to familiar ground with this movie
Army of the Dead, I was actually looking forward to it despite everything he's done since. I think generally it's a pretty reasonable zombie flick, the action isn't bad, I like most of the stories setup and what not.
That being said, I think his time at DC, head of all these big movies, I don't think it was good for him, because this movie just didn't nail it like I wanted. It just feels like two distinctly different movies in tone, where it's trying to be this ridiculous schlocky zombie action flick with some gruesome, bloody, deaths, and smart zombies, and a lot of humor throughout. But then it's all this melodrama of Bautista with his daughter and a former girlfriend he's working with, or the daughter and this Vegas refugee she wants to save, or this smuggler trying to help the refugees also, I don't know, I just don't feel it blends well. Like if I say "A Vegas heist movie set in the zombie apocalypse", you imagine something ridiculous, but it's not enough that. It just drags too much at certain points with the drama and trying to surprise folks with deaths and what not and I would just rather it not been that as much. Like one of the people they hire for the job is some youtube famous zombie killer, you can't be serious with something like that.
So unfortunately, I can't say it's super great. It's not bad, like if I had to rate it, it would maybe be like a C, it's totally fine zombie schlock, but I would've rather it had embraced how ridiculous it was abit more, rather than leaning harder on the drama that no one is gonna want out of a movie called "Army of the Dead". It honestly makes me want to go back and rewatch the Dawn of the Dead remake to make sure I'm not thinking too highly of it because of nostalgia or something because I haven't watched in a number of years now.
Thinking about it, I know he didn't direct or write it, but with Suicide Squad, this is somewhat similar to that, where it feels like it's trying to be more goofy than it really is most of the time, but at least Army of the Dead feels more cohesive than that as I hate Suicide Squad, but Army of the Dead is just fine.
Couldn't get to sleep, so decided to just go back and see what I thought of the
Dawn of the Dead Remake, being that I hadn't seen it in so long and I gotta say, better than Army of the Dead for sure. It just feels way more cohesive to me in general and while it does have some of that 2000's edge that hasn't aged super great, it is interesting to see Snyder's first film compared to his latest. You can kinda see some of what would be his trademark styling here, like his love of slow motion shots, before he went absolutely bonkers with it, and he has a weird thing with zombie babies...or that might just have been a nod to Dawn of the Dead in Army, I don't know, it's certainly creepy lol Still entertaining though and a good zombie flick. Also still the only Snyder film I like. Watchmen is alright, Man of Steel is alright, but I'm good with Dawn of the Dead.
