Common Sense Media Review
Extremely gory horror movie; not for kids.
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Dawn of the Dead
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 12 parent reviews
Based on 19 kid reviews
Kids say that the film is a mixed bag, with many appreciating the gore and violence typical of zombie horror, but others finding it inappropriate due to its explicit content and bleak themes. While some viewers advocate for mature audiences and fans of the genre, others warn against it being suitable for younger viewers because of its graphic scenes and strong language.
- graphic content
- not for kids
- great for fans
- mixed reviews
- inappropriate themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
A remake of George A. Romero's 1978 zombie film, DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004), begins much the same as the original. For unknown reasons, people across the country are turning into bloodthirsty, animated corpses with rotting visages only an undertaker could love. The morning after the outbreak of a mysterious "virus," an unlikely group of humans still capable of thought and speech converge on an empty shopping mall outside Milwaukee to escape the marauding zombies, who were until then the friends, families, neighbors of the survivors. As they fortify their defenses against the peril outside the mall walls, they must also face the threats they pose to one another. Unspecified days pass in a haze of mall enjoyment and zombie sniping until the remaining survivors opt to make a break for the nearby marina in order to escape by boat to a hopefully deserted island in Lake Michigan.
Is It Any Good?
This remake of George A. Romero's 1978 sequel to Night of the Living Dead soups up the zombies, cranks up the gross factor to 11, and has a lot of cheeky in-jokes about its predecessor. In comparison with the original, out are the shrieking blondes and rampaging looters, in are smart, controlled Ana (Sarah Polley as a believable nurse not afraid to wield a fire poker) and Kenneth (Ving Rhames), who is exactly the kind of cop you want walking beside you if you are facing scores of the undead.
The zombies are a bit spryer in this film, and the pregnancy of one of the main characters is not the life-giving promise it was in the first movie. But the ending is what differs most from the original. If you're a fan of the horror genre, then this flick is a welcome, if derivative, fright-fest in the school of Romero's classics.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different approaches taken by the survivors and the range of choices that they make. Are there times when the moral answer is at odds with the instinct to survive?
If you've seen the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead, how do you think this version compares?
Why do you think movies and books about the undead are so popular?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 12, 2004
- On DVD or streaming : October 25, 2004
- Cast : Mekhi Phifer , Sarah Polley , Ving Rhames
- Director : Zack Snyder
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive strong horror violence and gore, language and sexuality
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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