Disappointing and awful (spoilers)
My theory is that Zack Snyder wanted to create a homage to terrible direct-to-DVD action flicks, similar to the way Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s ‘Grindhouse’ paid homage to 1970s exploitation films shown in the now-defunct "grindhouse" theaters. Instead of damaged film reels and “missing reels”, Snyder’s film is a out of focus blur via his use of the Canon Dream Lens, a relatively obscure piece of equipment developed in Japan in the ‘70s.
Of course, Snyder didn’t tell anybody this was his intention with ‘Army of the Dead’. Maybe he wasn’t even consciously aware that he was doing it himself. It’s just my own explanation as to why, from the cringe-inducing needle drops to the awkward chemistry between our anti-heroes, Snyder’s latest movie is such a misfire all around.
Fans of unnecessary carnage beware: as enticing as the idea of seeing Dave Bautista wipe out swarms of zombies with an assortment of heavy machine guns and pointy sticks might sound, the reality is mostly cheap, ugly, dull and blurry.
Even judged by the standards of an up-and-down career, ‘Army of the Dead’ is desperate - the product of a self-indulgent creator clinging to outdated narrative concepts.
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