Netflix has been pumping out content of all kinds as of late, and this year has been no exception. Projected to have a huge year movie-wise, the streaming platform has already released a few blockbusters, such as the action-comedy, Thunder Force, and the psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window.
The latest Netflix blockbuster is Army of the Dead, a nonstop action-packed heist movie unlike any other, except for maybe Hurricane Heist. Starring Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), this film is a roller coaster ride from start to finish.
Army of the Dead is about a ragtag group of bank robbers hired to do one last job: break into a safe located underneath the Las Vegas strip. There is one caveat, however: Las Vegas has been overrun with zombies.
This is an original story from director Zack Snyder, who has given us such cinematic treasures as 300, The Watchmen, and Man of Steel. This movie is teeming with Snyder with its almost three-hour runtime, slow-motion action scenes with old-timey music playing, and characters with something to prove. This movie could easily have been two separate entities to work with but in true Snyder fashion, he has to go all in.
The movie starts out with a cold open uncovering the beginning of the zombie pandemic. A military convoy transporting what turns out to be a super-zombie, called an “alpha” is compromised, causing the zombie to escape and infect the soldiers. During the opening credits, we see the zombie attack play out and the subsequent barricading in of the zombies in Las Vegas.
The movie begins with a focus on Scott Ward, played by Bautista, working a line cook job at a diner. He is approached by a crime boss about a possible heist that could pay out upwards of $50 million. The safe is located underground beneath the Las Vegas strip, and they must complete the mission before the city of Vegas is nuked, essentially killing all the zombies. He accepts and goes about getting the old band back together. He enlists the help of his estranged daughter to get inside the city. Once in, the plan is hatched.
This suicide mission has all the makings of a disaster, but the team cannot turn back now. The audience gets to watch as each character battles not only zombies but each other and at times, themselves.
Overall, I was very entertained. I am not usually a fan of zombie movies because there are so many and at times lack creativity but Army of the Dead really blew me away. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was grossed out at times. I was impressed by some of the creativity and action shots.
Army of the Dead is a must-watch. It ranks up there with Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong in terms of craziness and entertainment. This may be the best movie of the summer.
Kris Johnson
Intern