Army of the Dead: A Drab and Dull Heist Movie That’s All Style, No Substance
Zack Snyder’s latest, Army of the Dead, a zombie heist thriller, promises a thrilling mix of action and horror. While the film boasts an impressive cast and a high-octane premise, it ultimately falls short of delivering on its promise, failing to rise above the mediocrity of Snyder’s signature style. With excessive blood, gore, and a runtime that stretches well beyond two hours, Army of the Dead offers a hollow shell of a film, devoid of the excitement and heart that its premise suggests.
A Familiar Formula: Snyder’s Visual Style and The Story’s Familiar Trajectory
Army of the Dead, like many of Snyder’s previous works, is visually striking, adopting an over-the-top aesthetic that has become synonymous with his filmmaking style. However, the film’s reliance on this signature style feels more like a crutch than a creative choice. Beyond the visual flair, the story follows a predictable path, offering no surprises or twists that divert from the well-worn heist film formula.
The film paints a picture of a zombie-infested Las Vegas, quarantined off from the rest of the world. We are introduced to a diverse cast of characters, each with their own sets of skills and motivations for taking on a seemingly impossible mission: ransacking a casino vault filled with $200 million. With an eclectic ensemble cast, the film introduces us to Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a man haunted by his past in Las Vegas, who is tasked with leading the team. We also meet Kate Ward (Ella Purnell), his estranged daughter, who tries to navigate the complexities of their fractured relationship in the midst of chaos.
A Cast of Characters That Fail to Engage
While the ensemble cast boasts some recognizable names, the characters fail to resonate with the audience. The characters are largely underdeveloped, with superficial backstories that fail to evoke genuine empathy or investment. Their motivations for joining the heist are often unclear, and their personalities remain flat throughout the movie.
Despite the prominent presence of Bautista and Purnell, the film feels thinly characterized, leaving viewers wondering about the emotional core of the story. The father-daughter dynamic, intended as the film’s central emotional driver, feels forced and lacking in depth. Snyder’s personal experience with loss, which has impacted his filmmaking in the past, fails to translate into impactful storytelling in Army of the Dead.
Snyder’s Focus on Brutal Violence: A Desperate Attempt to Capture Attention
The film’s heavy reliance on violence and gore, a hallmark of Snyder’s previous works, feels gratuitous. While the gruesome violence is initially shocking, it quickly loses its impact, leaving the viewer numb to the repeated displays of brutality.
The introduction of various zombie types, intended to add depth to the world and the threat, ultimately feels superfluous. We meet standard shamblers, alpha zombies with a semblance of intelligence, hibernating zombies, and even zombie animals like a zombie tiger named Valentine, and a zombie horse. Despite this expansive bestiary, the film fails to explore the nuances of these different types of zombies, and the overall impact of their presence remains negligible.
The Capitalistic Undercurrents: A Missed Opportunity for Social Commentary
Army of the Dead grazes upon themes of capitalism and how the drive for wealth can corrupt individuals. The team, promised a hefty reward for completing the heist, is not offered an equal share of the loot. This disparity in compensation highlights the inherent inequality of the system, but Snyder fails to fully explore these themes, leaving them as mere surface observations.
Army of the Dead: A Disappointing Stumble from a Director With Potential
Ultimately, Army of the Dead suffers from Snyder’s signature flaws – an overindulgence in visual spectacle at the expense of compelling story, characters, and emotional depth. The film’s reliance on violence and gore feels desperate, and the characters fail to leave any lasting impression. The heavy-handed and predictable narrative, combined with a lack of subtlety in the social commentary, makes for a film that is ultimately forgettable.
Army of the Dead is a flawed attempt at a grand spectacle. While it boasts a visually impressive landscape with a hint of social commentary, it ultimately struggles to deliver on its promise, leaving viewers wanting more from a director with the potential to create something truly impactful.
