Army of the Dead: Five things were excited to see in Zack Snyders zombie epic
Whoa! That Army of the Dead trailer was absolutely bonkers, and we mean that in a good way. There was crazy action filmed in director Zack Snyders patented slow-mo style, bikini-clad zombie women, muscle-bound heroes, and zombie tigers; all scored to a beautiful rendition of Kenny Rogers The Gambler. Obviously, there was plenty to unpack, but we managed to whittle all of those elements down to a list of five things were most excited to see in Snyders crazy zombie adventure.
About a month ago, a little movie called Zack Snyders Justice League arrived on HBO Max and, by all accounts, was a smashing success. However, fans of Snyder may note the, ah, distinct lack of batshit insanity typically found in most of the controversial directors films. Oh sure, Justice League is an incredible experience and one of the great superhero pics released over the last several years, but it also features Snyder more or less playing by the rules to deliver a fairly straight-forward action epic light years removed from the extremely decisiveBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
RELATED: Zack Snyders Army of the Dead Trailer: A Different Kind of Heist Pic
Army of the Dead, by contrast, looks like a full-blown, 150-percent Zack Snyder-not-giving-a-shit, action-packed, zombie extravaganza that isnt afraid to dive headfirst into bizarro territory, ala Snyders Dawn of the Dead and Watchmen. Judging by the trailer,AOTD could very well end up as the Zack Snyder equivalent of Michael Bays Bad Boys II*, aka the film where Bay,starting from the critical and commercial failure of Pearl Harbor, truly stopped giving a shit and began making films his way, for better or worse.
One look at AOTDs credits, in which Snyder is seemingly listed in every category save for makeup and hair design, is enough to convince us the man has had it up toherewith the studio system and opted to tackle this project alone. In other words,AOTD wont be another studio-mandated version of a much different film. There are no alternate cuts or compromises. This is Snyders movie through and through. So, get ready for a weird, violent, testosterone-fueled ride through a fully realized SnyderVerse, one that pulls no punches and could give two shits about your disdain for slow-motion eye candy, chiseled heroes/villains, in-your-face religious symbolism, or overtly macabre imagery.
Go, Snyder! Go!
The big twist in this particular zombie flick is that, rather than deliver the same mindless, brain-eating walking dead-ers were seen countless times before, Snyder one-ups even World War Z by presenting a zombie horde that not only moves fast but thinks and feels? Unless we misunderstood that image in the trailer of two zombies lovingly pressing foreheads together maybe they were trying to crack a nut this group of walkers has a little more juice in their veins.
These zombies promise to up the ante in their respective genre in more ways than one. As one character mentions, these decomposing a-holes are organized and presumably led by a former stripper/Queen with a knack for military tactics. Hence the title: Army of the Dead. Without a leader, these corpses are just mindless idiots, capable of being blasted to bits by Daryl Dixons missile launcher. Still, under a mindful tactician, they become a powerful weapon that could wipe out the planet.
Again, this is the type of wrinkle that makes Snyder Snyder and has us giddy at the prospects of an AOTD universe.
Weve long loved Dave Bautista, but the big guy has yet to score a role truly worthy of his acting chops, Guardians of the Galaxy be damned. Here, finally, the actor gets a kick-ass leading role that does away with corny Thor is an angel jokes and, at first glance, appears to capture the dramatic side he teased during brief cameos in Spectre and Blade Runner 2049.
If that werent enough, check out that killer supporting cast:Garret Dillahunt, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Raul Castillo, Tig Notaro, Theo Rossi and Ana de la Reguera, all of whom get their own spotlight moment in a trailer full of great moments. If Justice League showed what Snyder could do with a rag-tag team of superheroes, imagine how much fun hell have with this muscle-clad motley crew.
The MVP of 2021s blockbuster season thus far has been Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL. The composers score for Zack Snyders Justice League is right up there with some of the best action scores of the last decade, while his music for Godzilla vs. Kong represents 85% of why that wacky monster flick works as well as it does.
AOTD is Holkenborgs third and final score this year, but if its even half as badass as those aforementioned works, were in for a mighty treat!
Zack Snyder has never been shy about his love for wanton destruction. Whether it be Superman punching Zod through skyscrapers, or Rorschach cutting some poor goons hands-off with a chainsaw, Snyder pumps his movies with so much mayhem its no wonder audiences stumble out of the theater feeling shellshocked. And thats precisely why we love him.
RELATED: Mondo Reveals Zack Snyders Justice League Soundtrack Box Set!
As stated above, with AOTD, Snyder is making his movie his way; and you can bet your bottom dollar the action scenes will feature enough gore, blood, explosions, dismemberment, beheadings, knifings and shootings to make films like High Tension wince. The trailer only shows off a snippet of the wild action were about to feast on and teases a crew packing firearms galore, chainsaws, knives, machine guns, something that looks like a flamethrower (at the 2:10 mark), and a baseball bat adorned with nails all presented on a massive scale unlike any weve ever seen for this particular genre.
Oh, and wed be remiss not to mention that friggin zombie tiger because you can never get enough zombie tigers.
Army of the Deadis set to hit select theaters on May 14 and Netflix on May 21.
*Thats not to say AOTD will stoop to the same level as Bad Boys II, which is a humungous turd of a film albeit a glorious, breathtaking turd that is as endlessly watchable and quotable as it is shockingly reprehensible. Suffice to say, AOTD will hopefully grant Snyder the creative freedom to do what Snyder does in the same way that Bad Boys II finally allowed Bay to unleash pure unadulterated Bayhem in the best way.
Read the original here:
Army of the Dead: What Excites Us About Zack Snyders Zombie Epic - ComingSoon.net
- Even Will Smith Couldnt Save Zombie Survival Game Undawn, Which Flopped Spectacularly - IGN - March 24th, 2024
- Rob Zombie Recommends This Surprisingly Wholesome Comedy - Dread Central - March 24th, 2024
- Army Writing and the Zombie (Noun) Apocalypse - Modern War Institute - United States Military Academy West Point - March 24th, 2024
- Fatal Fury's Mai Shiranui Is In This Zombie Survival Game For Some Reason - Time Extension - March 24th, 2024
- Should you be worried about 'zombie deer'? | College of Public Health - George Mason University - March 24th, 2024
- 'Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island' Scares Its Way to Blu-ray for the First Time This Spring - Collider - March 24th, 2024
- Rob Zombie hates my guts: GWAR's Dave 'Oderus Urungus' Brockie was a genius, and here's an interview that proves it - Louder - March 24th, 2024
- In the fight against gun violence, Rep. Frost Introduces the Destroy Zombie Guns Act - The Apopka Voice - March 24th, 2024
- Elfriede Jelinek's 'The Children of the Dead' is a historical zombie novel - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - March 24th, 2024
- Germany's Zombie Government Is Fueling the Far Right - The Atlantic - March 24th, 2024
- Zombie Survival Game Undawn Has Crashed And Burned According To A Reuters Report - MMOs.com - March 24th, 2024
- Will Smiths Zombie Game Has Been Hit Harder Than Chris Rock at the Oscars Its Astronomical Budget Was ... - imdb - March 24th, 2024
- Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island / Return to Zombie Island Blu-ray (Warner Archive Collection) - Blu-ray.com - March 24th, 2024
- Registration almost here for Dothans annual Zombie 5K Chase - WDHN - March 24th, 2024
- Zombie magic and gambling club Magic Island will come alive again this summer - Houston Chronicle - March 24th, 2024
- Undawn | The $140m zombie survival game starring Will Smith that bombed while nobody was looking - Filmstories - March 24th, 2024
- After 4 years, a cult classic zombie horror manga from Ga-Rei's creator is finally getting an official English release - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- Will Smith's Zombie Game Has Been Hit Harder Than Chris Rock at the Oscars - Its Astronomical Budget Was ... - FandomWire - March 24th, 2024
- "The game literally no one knew existed": The Will Smith Zombie Survival Game is Reportedly a Big Flop and Fans Are ... - FandomWire - March 24th, 2024
- Zombie-palooza --- Get to the biggest undead music event in the latest Dead Island 2 expansion: SoLA - Gaming Trend - March 24th, 2024
- Bournemouth University medical students treat 'zombie attack' in mass training simulation - The Tab - March 24th, 2024
- Zombie car factories on the rise in China as buyers opt for EVs - Financial Times - March 16th, 2024
- Hey, Remember When Rob Zombie Was Going To Direct THE CROW 3? - FANGORIA - March 16th, 2024
- New Walking Dead Twist Shows How The Zombie Outbreak Will Finally End - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Candid conversations from death row with The Zombie Hunter - Arizona's Family - March 16th, 2024
- Zombie! The Musical - REVIEW - City Hub Sydney - March 16th, 2024
- A Gorgeous Harp and Guitar String Duet of 'Zombie' by The Cranberries in Honor of Alexei Navalny - Laughing Squid - March 16th, 2024
- Y2K Review: A 1999 Youth Nostalgia Comedy That Turns Into an Attack-of-the-Computers Zombie Movie. But Only the First One Is Fun - Variety - March 16th, 2024
- AMC Announces Every Zombie in The Walking Dead Getting Its Own Spin-Off - Hard Drive - March 16th, 2024
- The Growing Threat of Zombie Code - CXOToday.com - March 16th, 2024
- The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever Gets Theatrical Return For Anniversary - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- You won't expect which fighting game character pops up in this random mobile zombie game trailer for a bizarre ... - EventHubs - March 16th, 2024
- Coby White, Butler and the 'Zombie Heat,' Fontecchio Are All Here to Stay - Canis Hoopus - March 16th, 2024
- 'Land of the Dead' 19 Years Later: Romero's Return Was Smarter Than the Average Zombie Movie - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- Z Nation Season 6: SYFY Tease Return of Zombie Series 6 Years After Its Death - ComingSoon.net - March 16th, 2024
- Zombie! The Musical (Hayes Theatre Co) - Limelight - March 16th, 2024
- Get This Definitive Edition Zombie Game For Free Right Now On Steam - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- The Best Ghost and Zombie Movie Romances - Vulture - February 19th, 2024
- The couple trying to keep killer 'zombie viruses' at bay - and protect us from another pandemic - The Telegraph - February 19th, 2024
- Meet the Serbian Businessman/DJ Who Runs the Zombie AI Southwest Journal - Racket - February 19th, 2024
- Dead Island 2 Spreading Its Zombie Virus to Steam in April - GameSpace.com - February 19th, 2024
- Lincoln hosts Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie - Omaha - KETV Omaha - February 19th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead - The Ones Who Live' Review AMC's Zombie Epic Shambles On - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Legislative recap: zombie bills, teacher pay, lithium tax, pipelines and more - Black Hills Pioneer - February 19th, 2024
- Japan's stock markets are on a tear. Will 'zombie firms threaten the bull run? - CNBC - February 11th, 2024
- Thebe Phetogos haunted response to zombie figuration in art - The Washington Post - February 11th, 2024
- Cosmic dust from 'zombie' galaxies could form planets and life - The Telegraph - February 11th, 2024
- I walked with a zombie: 16 monster love interests that set hearts aflutter - The A.V. Club - February 11th, 2024
- Free Steam zombie shooter you've never heard of is getting rave reviews, somehow - GAMINGbible - February 11th, 2024
- South Korea's 'zombie football' finally leaves them in a hole too deep to climb out of - ESPN - February 11th, 2024
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Zombie Mode is Getting Abandoned by Developer - FandomWire - February 11th, 2024
- Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses Full Audio Being Released as Immersive Vinyl - ComicBook.com - February 11th, 2024
- Zombie 'apocalypse' caused by mind-altering fungi, like that in hit TV show The Last of Us, is possible MPs ar - Daily Mail - February 11th, 2024
- The dark horse of Steam Next Fest is this open-world zombie survival game that feels like an homage to the best game ... - Gamesradar - February 11th, 2024
- COVID-19 Zombie Viral Fragments Could Help Explain Why Some Infections Are More Severe | Weather.com - The Weather Channel - February 11th, 2024
- Gotham City becomes a Joker-infected zombie nightmare in new Batman #143 preview - Dexerto - February 11th, 2024
- Boy, 16, stabbed to death with zombie knife at birthday party, court hears - The Independent - February 11th, 2024
- ROB ZOMBIE And ALICE COOPER Announce Summer 2024 'Freaks On Parade' Tour With MINISTRY And FILTER - BLABBERMOUTH.NET - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper are bringing their 'Freaks on Parade Tour' to Indy this summer - IndyStar - February 3rd, 2024
- Alice Cooper And Rob Zombie Touring Again This Summer - Vermilion County First - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper's 'Freak' show coming Aug. 25 to the X in St. Paul - Star Tribune - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper get their freak on with tour stop in Houston - CultureMap Houston - February 3rd, 2024
- 'True Detective: Night Country' and the 'Zombie Virus' Theory - Pajiba Entertainment News - February 3rd, 2024
- Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie to team up at Star Lake; Heart to headline PPG Paints Arena - The Times - February 3rd, 2024
- Double bills of Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper, Train and REO Speedwagon coming this summer - St. Paul Pioneer Press - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper's Freaks On Parade 2024 tour: Presale code, tickets, dates, venues, & all you need to ... - Sportskeeda - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper added to Walmart AMP lineup - Fayetteville Flyer - February 3rd, 2024
- ROB ZOMBIE and ALICE COOPER continue "The Freaks On Parade" tour in 2024 - Lambgoat - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper to Continue Their 'Freaks on Parade' Tour with Filter and Ministry - MetalSucks - February 3rd, 2024
- 'Handling the Undead' Review: This Emotional Zombie Horror Movie Isn't as Unique as It Thinks | Sundance 2024 - Collider - February 3rd, 2024
- Sundance Review: Handling The Undead Deconstructs the Zombie Genre with Painful Dread - The Film Stage - February 3rd, 2024
- How many 'zombie' stores will be left in the Philly area after Rite Aid's bankruptcy? - The Philadelphia Tribune - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper announce 'Freaks on Parade' 2024 tour dates with Ministry and Filter - Brooklyn Vegan - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper coming to Milwaukee on Aug. 27, 2024 - FOX 6 Milwaukee - February 3rd, 2024
- Alice Cooper And Rob Zombie Announce 2024 Tour: See The Dates - iHeartRadio - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper to stop at Walmart AMP - KNWA - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper coming to Blossom - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland - February 3rd, 2024
- Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper Reveal Joint U.S. Tour Dates Here's How To Get Presale Code Tickets - Grimy Goods - February 3rd, 2024
- Canada's 'zombie fires' continue to burn even under thick layers of snow - National Post - February 3rd, 2024
- Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie bringing Freaks on Parade to Coopers home state - MLive.com - February 3rd, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero