(CCR Original Content) Day f the Dead: Bloodline [Spoiler Free Review & Spoiler Review below picture] (5/10)
Day of the Dead: Bloodline is a 2018 action/horror movie directed by Hector Hernandez Vicens and written by Mark Tonderai and Lars Jacobson. Producers who worked on the film included Christa Campbell and Robert Franklin Dudelson. The movie was produced by Saban Capital Group, Campbell Grobman Films and Millenium Films and distributed by Lionsgate Films. The film stars actors Sophie Skelton, Jonathan Schaech, Jeff Gum and Marcus Vanco.
While reluctantly attending a party at her medical school, Whittendale University, medical student Zoe Parker (Sophie Skelton), is attacked by a disturbed patient Max (Jonathan Schaech). Max was her patient and along with being obsessively in love with her also has blood with an unusually high level of antibodies. After attacking her and trying to rape her he is bitten and attacked by a reanimated corpse while they were in the campus morgue. Zoe runs to warn others at the party but zombies follow attacking everyone and she escapes out a window to find that the city is besieged by zombies. Five years later she is with a group of survivors at a refugee camp/military base called High Rock Emergency Bunker serving as a camp doctor and treating illnesses while trying to also find a cure for the zombie virus.
This movie had my hopes up as most of the new Romero inspired films do. I am such a big fan of 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake, so I always come into these with an open mind. Right away this film struck me as being a B-movie or less quality then some of the other films that I have been viewing as part of Zombie Movie Madness: Countdown to Halloween. Also right away this movie set the tone with the violence, blood and gore which went a long way in how this movie stacks up in comparison to other zombie films I've seen. The plot of the movie was decent if not one that is common for other zombie films/shows where they are trying to find a cure but the twist was what it was all about. In the original film, I remember there being a smart zombie that they had listening to music on a Walkman and then later kills someone by picking up a gun and shooting. I have to say that this smart zombie was not as cool in my opinion but they way they went about introducing him and how he came into play for the story was original. The dialogue was pretty terrible in certain scenes or maybe it was some of the actors but the saving grace was the special effects and scenes where zombies attacked. I give this movie a 5/10 because to me it was an average zombie movie, not the best but not the worst.
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Spoiler Review Section:
Even copying or borrowing from George A. Romero's unique concept couldn't make this film better than an average zombie film. I was excited to see their interpretation of the smarter or more capable than average zombie in this movie and their origin story for him was quite unique and interesting. He was an obsessive stalker and attempted rapist whose body has a high amounts of antibodies. Five years after the main character Zoe escapes Whittendale University she gets the military to go back for medical supplies and Max is still there except a zombie but more. He finds her and sneaks back to their base "Cape Fear" style and then sneaks into the base. I found that a little unbelievable that he was able to sneak onto and into the base so easily but also kind of believable since it's been 5 years without any incidents as far as the audience knows. I also think that the movie was kind of inconsistent with what he's able to do or how much he can reason. He's smart enough to sneak into the base, and through vents but gets caught when he attacks Zoe and is captured. They order her to come up with a vaccine in 48 hours or Max will be killed regardless but then don't put an armed guard to watch over him. That was also a little to convenient to me. He manages to steal the handcuff keys form a soldier during a scuffle too which I thought was rather brilliant. Some good stuff in this movie but some stuff I thought could have been better done or different. As I mentioned some of the actors could have done a better job or the dialogue, story wasn't that original but overall a decent average zombie movie. Worth watching if your looking for a zombie movie to watch but nothing to wow you out of your seat. I give this movie a 5/10.