After a Zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take a heavy gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the ultimate heist.
Netflix is thrilled by the massive success of zombie heist thriller Army of the Dead. Directed by Zack Snyder, it is one of the most-watched flicks on the platform. Netflix expects that around 72 million households will tune in to watch the triller over the next four weeks.
72 million households are betting on dead.
ARMY OF THE DEAD has been the #1 film around the world and is projected to be one of Netflix’s most popular films ever in its first 4 weeks. pic.twitter.com/85foTPFAny
— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) May 28, 2021
Undead in Vegas
The plot centres around Las Vegas, overrun with zombies and abandoned by the living. A former mercenary is hired to source a team of specialists to break in to the city and steal a cash bounty from a casino vault. But the undead are more organised than expected. The first on-screen explosion clocks in at around the three minute mark. Its amongst a synchronised, slow-motion title sequence that establishes the pace.
The Las Vegas zombie outbreak has engulfed the city of las Vegas. Undead characters include Elvis (the impersonator), Liberace-style performers, strippers and even a tiger.
“With hints of Escape From New York, it’s not a wholly original premise — just last year, in fact, Train To Busan sequel Peninsula followed a similar ‘heist, but with zombies’ concept. And it’s not without flab, either: after his four-hour Justice League cut, two-and-a-half hours might seem relatively thrifty, but there are pacing issues. After that rollicking opening sequence, there’s some clumsy set-up as the film rushes to introduce its giant ensemble.”
Source: Empire
Dave Bautista nails the male-macho character, equipped with a post-war weariness. Tig Notaro lights up the screen, as a cigar-chomping helicopter pilot.
“From the nervy private to the treacherous company man to Nora Arnezeder’s Vasquez-alike hero, while the safe-cracking sequence is pure Danny Ocean.”
Source: Empire
Army of the Dead is most successful when it leans into the less serious, as opposed to more meaningful territory. For example, the story arc between Scott and his estranged daughter, played by Ella Purnell.
The Feud
In 2004, Jack Snyder’s energetic debut, a remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead received rave reviews. There’s reportedly bad blood between Warner Bros and Snyder, with the director opening up about his relationship with the studio over more recent times. This is due to the fact that he’s no longer in their employ. Army of the dead was initially announced to be developed in March of 2007. Snyder was attached to produce, not direct. Insider Daniel Richtman has claimed that WB are experiencing seller’s remorse after handing over the zombie flick to Netflix,
“WB feels like an idiot for selling Army to Netflix.”
Source: wegotthiscovered
Check out the official trailer for Army of the Dead below:
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