For the most part you should bet all in for a good time because Army of the Dead is a riotous, gratuitous, gleefully over-the-top zombie thriller overloaded with guts, gore and visual flair. The plot is also irresistibly ludicrous. Think Aliens or Ocean's Eleven with zombies and you've pretty much got the gist. The whole package on display here is fun and utterly bonkers. Nothing more nothing less.
However, this being a Zack Snyder film, you should expect the usual frustrations, namely a lack of character development and a bum-numbing runtime. It's not without its other niggles, too. Following a strong opening credits sequence, pacing problems make way for a predictable introduction to an array of thinly veiled characters, all of whom appear to be discount versions of Burke and Vasquez from Aliens. It's clear to me the majority of this cast were picked for their collectively distinctive looks and little else.
Army of the Dead is also riddled with plot holes...and annoying character deaths. Take the largely insignificant character of Chambers for example. After she's led astray into a trap set by Martin, she amasses a totally badass 50 kill streak before being left for dead by her crew, including her sharpshooter best friend who does nothing to save her when there was ample opportunity to do so. WTF!? This was annoying and an unnecessary attempt to maintain the story's vague and far-fetched mystery. Chambers deserved better.
Look, I still stand by what I said. Army of the Dead is fun. Nothing more nothing less. There's no need for a Snyder cut of this film. For better or worse, this is a Zack Snyder film through and through; it's one of his better works since Watchmen (2009) and maybe enough to win over some of the stubborn Snyder skeptics.
However, this being a Zack Snyder film, you should expect the usual frustrations, namely a lack of character development and a bum-numbing runtime. It's not without its other niggles, too. Following a strong opening credits sequence, pacing problems make way for a predictable introduction to an array of thinly veiled characters, all of whom appear to be discount versions of Burke and Vasquez from Aliens. It's clear to me the majority of this cast were picked for their collectively distinctive looks and little else.
Army of the Dead is also riddled with plot holes...and annoying character deaths. Take the largely insignificant character of Chambers for example. After she's led astray into a trap set by Martin, she amasses a totally badass 50 kill streak before being left for dead by her crew, including her sharpshooter best friend who does nothing to save her when there was ample opportunity to do so. WTF!? This was annoying and an unnecessary attempt to maintain the story's vague and far-fetched mystery. Chambers deserved better.
Look, I still stand by what I said. Army of the Dead is fun. Nothing more nothing less. There's no need for a Snyder cut of this film. For better or worse, this is a Zack Snyder film through and through; it's one of his better works since Watchmen (2009) and maybe enough to win over some of the stubborn Snyder skeptics.