jason wilkins

Zack Snyder didn't set out to make Citizen Kane, pt. 2 with this film. What he did create was a film the hardcore Snyder fans will lap up like zombies on a freshly severed carotid artery. It is, perhaps, too long. Padding is evident, there are questionable decisions made by nearly every character, and the plot comes and goes of it own volition. Having said, that is trademark of Snyder. And I can overlook those points on the strengths of this movie. The zombies are state of the art, and truly scary. I'm still creeped out by the sequence with the zombie queen, sizing up and sniffing a human "offering" for safe passage like some undead feral lioness. And Zeus the King, zombie zero himself, is a terrifying, seemingly unstoppable beast with intelligence and a set of teeth straight from the xenomorph in Alien. The sense of dread and terror, as he stalks the team with a vengeance after the decapitation of his queen, and love, is palpable and intense. And I swear, it will be a LONG time before the screams, roars, clicks, chatters and chirps of the zombie language leaves my memory. It's soul chilling to hear them communicate. AOTD, in a nutshell, is Snyder x 5. Nothing held back, a 24 course offering that needs to be seen and enjoyed for what it is. A big, loud, bloody good time, and a whole lot of fun, not to mention genuinely frightening moments. On those merits, the film delivers in spades, and sets new standards for the Zombie genre. (Oh, I nearly forgot. ZOMBIE TIGER!!!) 8/10.