Army of the Dead – Netflix Review (3/5)

ARMY OF THE DEAD on Netflix is the new zombie movie by Zack Snyder. Visually, it’s a treat but the story could’ve been better. In fact, the story isn’t why you should watch the movie. Fortunately, the zombies and quirky characters are. Read our full Army of the Dead movie review here!

ARMY OF THE DEAD is the new Netflix new zombie movie that works perfectly as a Friday night treat. At 2 hours and 28 minutes, it’s definitely longer than necessary. Some of the side stories could’ve been trimmed without harming the movie in any way.

I am actually a rather happy fan of Zack Snyder (just 300 alone, is enough reason for this). But he does need to “Kill his darlings” sometimes. This movie is a prime example of this. It’s obvious that some minor stories are only included to help lead up to plot twists, but surely, there was a better way.

Continue reading our Army of the Dead movie review below.

Zombies in a heist movie

We’re pretty much used to zombie movies being about the actual zombies. However, in Army of the Dead, only the opening story is about the zombies – specifically, how the outbreak begins. After that, this movie is more of a heist movie where the zombies are merely an obstacle.

Okay, and also the fact that some of the zombies are intelligent. However, this was also the case in a movie like I Am Legend (2007) which I adore, so it’s not super innovative.

What the movie does have going for it, are the awesome characters and quirky elements. Again, in terms of fun and quirkiness, I would rather watch Zombieland again. The characters, however, do work pretty well. And, of course, the zombies (and Las Vegas in a post-apocalyptic state) look pretty damn cool.

Scream for me, Dieter!

The absolute winner for me in terms of characters in Army of the Dead was Dieter. He is portrayed by the German actor Matthias Schweighöfer and he is amazing. Dieter has a scream that comes out when he’s surprised or shocked and it is brilliant. Also, Dieter is exactly the kind of quirky and sweet character, you need to balance out a brutal zombie-ruled world (or city).

Up next for Matthias Schweighöfer is a prequel of Army of Dead called Army of Thieves which is already completed and set for release in 2021. Matthias Schweighöfer is both the director and star of this movie (which is written by John Wick 3: Parabellum screenwriter Shay Hatten) and I cannot wait to see it!

The star of Army of the Dead is of course Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy). I always like him in everything he does and this movie is no exception. He seems perfect as Scott Ward.

Also, I find it absolutely fascinating that Tig Notaro filmed all her scenes alone after the movie was done. She replaced Chris D’Elia (after a story broke about him sexually harassing women and pursuing underage girls for sex). Tig Notaro just feels so natural in this movie, which is no small feat when she’s been inserted into scenes via green screen and other movie magic tricks.

Watch Army of the Dead on Netflix!

Army of the Dead is written and directed by Zack Snyder who also took on the cinematographer job as well. I can’t really complain about that since the man has a very strong style and a great look. At least he didn’t edit the movie himself, which is probably a good thing.

Then again, the editor is Dody Dorn who also directed Zack Snyder’s Justice League so he’s working with someone who accepts his style fully. Dody Dorn has also edited movies such as Christopher Nolan‘s Memento (2000) and Insomnia (2002) and her editor’s debut was doing the director’s cut of James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

My point is simply that she’s used to working with filmmakers who are very passionate. And also, who tend to make rather long movies. I love the abovementioned directors but for Army of the Dead, I still feel like it could have been shorter. That’s in terms of the story told, though. Not the pacing of the actual film.

The bottom line for me is that this Netflix zombie movie (which is also out in theaters in the US) is a treat on a visual level – as we’ve come to expect from Zack Snyder. However, the actual storyline leaves a bit to be desired – which is also a bit of a trademark for Zack Snyder. But hey, I would still watch any movie he makes. Anytime!

Army of the Dead is out in US theaters from May 14, 2021, and then it will be released on Netflix globally on May 21, 2021.

Details

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Joby Harold
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De La Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Garret Dillahunt, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Huma S. Qureshi, Samantha Win, Richard Cetrone, Michael Cassidy