A lot of the problem is the shift from slow to fast zombies, it's somewhat subtle but it alters the entire feel of the film. The slow zombies had great potential as a means to commentary, a new society "rising up" to consume the old (which, in itself is nothing new, Matheson was doing that in his "I Am Legend", and other authors even further back than that), they weren't individually a threat so the real driving force behind everything is us...WE become complacent and don't think of getting out until thousands are out there or WE start bickering amongst ourselves and bring about our own downfall.
In the more modern zombie movies the whole vibe has changed from one of slowly mounting dread and psychological studies, real true "horror" as we think of it; into a more almost action-movie based feeling with chase scenes and adrenaline-inducing moments. That's totally cool, no problem with that, I love action movies too...but I think it's much harder to work something unique in terms of the story or the artistic message you're trying to get across. Very few pull it off, 28 Days Later (and Weeks for that matter) pulled it off by keeping the actual moments of contact with the infected few and far between. They're treated as more of a "background" issue to the main one of the characters trying to deal with their own issues. David Cronenberg managed a respectable (if low budget) version of fast "infected" decades before that with Shivers and Rabid...I don't know that those could be considered zombie movies though, they're frigging weird films, they're more body horror than zombie film...
In most other cases the only way I find the fast zombies can work is
1. in a Comedic light, Evil Dead, Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive", and the Dead Snow movie you mentioned would fit here. They take the gore and just amp it into the realm of full-out black slapstick.
2. if it treats itself AS just a fun, lightly entertaining action movie. I actually was one of the few fans of the original Dawn that enjoyed the remake, I thought Snider did a great job of just taking the idea, adding that element and having some fun within a general idea (mall, zombies). He never really treats the movie like it's some deep metaphysical philosophical statement or anything so it never comes off as hokey, it's just a gory action flick and it's fun.
Beyond that, what I would suggest if you're looking for really, truly original ideas in terms of Zombie stuff, look in the direction of books...Max Brooks' "World War Z" was completely brilliant I thought, doing it post-war in the style of Studs Terkel was a completely unique take on the idea. About the only attempt that successfully makes the situation "feel" global because you're talking to people from all over, America, China, the entirety of the Middle East, Western Europe of various forms...out of everything zombie related I've seen in the last decade or so I think that's one of the most original takes, removes the "lone group, cut off from society, trying to survive" idea which is pretty much the core of 99% of zombie movie plots.
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*+_Charos_+*
"I have often laughed at weaklings
who thought themselves good because
they had no claws."
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