REVIEW: ARMY OF THE DEAD

3.5/5

World War Z: The Snyder Cut. 

148 Mins. Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Samantha Win, Huma Qureshi, Garret Dillahunt & Hiroyuki Sanada. Director: Zack Snyder. 

RING. DING. DING. Slot machines roulette spin cash and flesh in the city of original sin, as blood spills like coins in the Palms. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas...the Snyder Cut. For his crack suicide squad (James Gunn has got to love this) like team taking on an 'Army Of The Dead' for Netflix and the undead zombie genre that's had more than its pound of flesh, but still seems so fresh. All thanks to 'Immortals' Zack Snyder coming off taking HIS 'Justice League' assemble to the max with HBO, moving more than '300' men for the dynamic directors rise of a streaming service empire. Watch 'Watchmen' from the DC 'Man Of Steel' and 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice' director and from Dylan telling us 'The Times Are a-Changin', to Lucille's own wielding Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Comedian being behind the grassy knoll on the day they took Kennedy, Snyder knows how to make a montage of a title sequence into something as compelling as it is creative. Stirring, not shoehorning. And this outstanding opening from the 'Dawn Of The Dead' remake director with shades of 'Watchmen' and 'Zombieland' is alive with those aesthetics and accents as Zack redefines his direction again with this dumb fun movie that still has a beating heart behind all that bruised muscle and bravado. In the verse of a new extended world of rogue one's that may even see a sequel after an 'Italian Job' like prequel and anime spin-off for Netflix like 'Pacific Rim's' 'The Black' for this entertaining cash and pound grab of a zombie slash heist monster movie mash. And they thought it would bite. Really at this point if you can't enjoy some epic entertainment were you leave your brain at the door like the zekes that freak this picture, you really are just chomping at the bit. To stream, or not to stream, this was never ever a question of being Shakespeare. 

The Invisible Man, Dave Bautista wrestles with a crack squad ready to open a booby trap safe of 20 mill, surrounded by the same amount of hordes who are watching this desert struggle and scuffle in the middle of Nevada on Netflix this weekend. Set to blow like an atomic bomb testing that could even break the dam. Hoovering everything up in sight with canyons of sensational set-pieces of bloodthirsty bullets, bayonets and brimstone. This is a Killer like Brandon Flowers and his boys from 'Sam's Town'. And who better than 'Guardians Of The Galaxy's' own Drax the destroyer to lead this protein packed, power bar, casino heist amidst a zombie apocalypse? The Bond henchman on this odd job, trading tattooed muscle bound hands like a 'Fast and Furious' Vin Diesel and The Rock. The soulful cameoing 'Blade Runner 2049' beast of a second-career actor like Dwayne Johnson also gives this big picture for your smartphone screens a huge heart in reading glasses. It needs those beats in a gunning movie that clocks in at over two an a half hours in the chamber before 'Suspicious Minds' by 'The Searcher' Elvis plays for a scoring soundtrack with the best use of The Cranberries' 'Zombie'.  But come on! What did you expect? This is a guy that just gave you four 60's of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and the Cyborg with not even a hint of a Green Lantern. But just wait until they snap the green glow sticks here on a kitchen scene more terrifying than Tim and Lex trying to run away from some Raptors in 'Jurassic Park'. Watch out for all that clanging metal. This one plays it like the spoons. The only thing tenser than this moment that has helpings of humour and heart-as well as all that pigs blood-is the pre-credits army convoy roadside compromise with one hell of a payload from Area 51 that bioengineered hits the jackpot when it comes to world, hype, story and tension building. The momentum carrying all the way to the shipping container like Jenga quarantined Sin City that features alpha Z's straight out of a graphic novel like Snyder look and vision of legend. These 'Immortals' could be in that very film. Or even scream "SPARTA" amongst all those Medusa like siren, spine-tingling screams. Growling next to one Valentine from Siegfried and Roy that you might not want to open. Guten tag! 

'Oceans Eleven' this Zombie land double-tap is not. Neither is it a '6 Underground' Ryan Reynolds Netflix dud missile. Zack Snyder shares Michael Bay's explosive love of action, but he doesn't let the sun set on the heart of a movie. And no slo-mo, he keeps things going at a gun-ho pace. Zombie movies have infected the big screens years before our own apocalypse talked about quarantine. And amongst the 'Walking Dead' of 'World War Z', 'I Am Legend', '28 Days (and 'Weeks') Later', Schwarzenegger's heartfelt 'Maggie' with 'Zombielands' own Abigail Breslin and of course the South Korean 'Train To Busan', 'Seoul Station' animation and 'Peninsula' trilogy this one checks and has a temperature. Nuclear and vault strong. Helping this horror sub-genre be as grand as its father franchise maker coming at night, carrying a disease were we would all mask up like we should right now in a heartbeat before our last. The only thing that moves in more hordes is this epic ensemble cast. The heart of 'Churchill' actor Ella Purnell in the right place, making this movie right on time. The "BOOM" 'Power' of Omari Hardwick and the 'Goliath' heart of Ana de la Reguera, the soul of this story. Netflix and 'Luke Cage's' own Theo Rossi, even shadier than usual. A safe cracking and scene stealing, 'Valkyrie' in Matthias Schweighöfer. 'Safe House's' crack French merc Nora Arnezeder's howling Coyote amongst all this ugly. 'Star Trek's' engineer and piloting fan favourite Tig Notaro brought in to get them to the chopper and take them home, leaving predators in her dust. The sharpshooting enthusiasm of 'El Chicano's' Raúl Castillo, more contagious than those here who love brains. The hand-to-hand combat and close quarters of Chambers, winningly played with a great hand by martial artist Samantha Win. And model actress Huma Qureshi, the catalyst to all of this. Lets not forget the shady 'Fear Of The Walking Dead' and 'Looper' creep Gilla Dillahunt either. The right hand man to Hiroyuki Sanada's orchestrating billionaire who says this is all, "easy peasy, (lemon squeezy)". The Japanese legend clearly having a Swayze, suited up in shades and sin next to his 'Mortal Kombat' Scorpion for his year, forget month. All for an army stronger than K-Pop Goliath BTS' one. This is the butter and Snyder cuts us another film that pouring petrol on everything, shows us the zombie genre is far from dead. Spreading like something going viral as we all stay safe at home with our smartphone from the real virus. Take a bite at these arms with teeth. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Zack Snyder's Justice League', 'Suicide Squad', 'World War Z'.