Army of the Dead Reviews: Zack Snyder’s Ambitious Zombie Epic Falters in Execution

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Reviews have begun to roll in for Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. The director's first film outside of the DCEU since 2011's Sucker Punch represents a return to the zombie genre for Snyder. He first broke onto the scene in 2004 with a remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, a movie some consider to be one of his best. Snyder has made it clear, though, that Army of the Dead is a drastic departure from that film, one that looks to be infusing his distinct visual aesthetic with the blockbuster flare he's started to employ during the intermittent years.

Early reactions for Army of the Dead leaned positive, with many praising the zombie epic as a rollicking good time. These reactions are good news for Netflix as the streamer looks to be building a zombie universe with Snyder at the helm. This will include an already shot prequel film, titled Army of Thieves, about the group of mercenaries at the center of the upcoming film. Snyder is also working on anime-style animated prequel series that will premiere on the streamer. First up, though, is Army of the Dead, which will run in select theaters beginning May 14 ahead of its May 21 premiere on Netflix.

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Now, reviews for Army of the Dead have begun rolling in ahead of its theatrical release. So far, critics seem much more divided than the early reactions that were revealed yesterday. While many praise the scale and ambition of the film, Army of the Dead's overly long runtime and various lofty ideas seem to puncture what could've been a tightly wound zombie epic. Check out some critics' thoughts below:

Molly Freeman, SR 

Instead of the prototypical zombie flick about an outbreak, Snyder uses the backdrop of an undead-infested Las Vegas for a heist movie that combines action and horror in equal measure. But while the director is aiming for something like Ocean's 11 meets Dawn of the Dead, the film is neither a skillfully crafted heist plot, nor does it employ its zombies to offer much, if any social commentary on the state of the world like Romero's original. Instead, it takes the most basic entertainment value from the respective genres to craft this new type of zombie thriller. Snyder's Army of the Dead delivers some compelling action and shocking visuals, but isn't clever or fun enough to be more than a shallow zombie flick.

Brian Tallerico, Roger Ebert

Despite its remarkable length, Army of the Dead is a pretty deliberate, lean movie that effectively blends the heist genre with the zombie one. Snyder’s co-written script has just enough new in both departments, although I wish there was a bit more to the heist itself than the direct line from A to Z(ombie) and trying to get back to A again. It sometimes feels like the plot of Army of the Dead is merely a skeleton on which to hang the action scenes instead of something inherently clever on its own. I kept waiting for a twist or a surprise that never really came.

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Army of the Dead arguably has a gonzo excess, and a certain kind of end-of-the-world spectacle, maybe borrowed from Planet of the Apes; that could be down to the famous Vegas scale-replica of the Statue of Liberty. But there is something weirdly and oppressively uninspired in this CGI world; a continuous two-and-a-half hour splurge of generic zombie content which itself feels a bit zombie-ish.

David Rooney, THR

At 2½ hours, this is a lot of furious flesh-eating for one meal. But the screenplay by Snyder, Shay Hatten and Joby Harold strikes a satisfying balance between accelerated action — fountains of blood, splatter, gore and punishing fight sequences — and quieter character-driven interludes that succeed in making us care about the motley crew tackling the zombie menace.

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

It’d be overstating the movie’s qualities to call it a return to Dawn of the Dead basics for Snyder, given its more elaborate zombie mythology and its inflated budget and running time. But in contrast with the heavy, self-admiring sheen that has weighed down Snyder’s imagery since 300, the filmmaking here feels nimbler, grittier, more energized.

Bilge Ebiri, Vulture

Army of the Dead — which, let me reiterate, is a Vegas heist flick set during a zombie apocalypse — should be a lot more fun than it is. Or maybe more accurately, it should be as fun in the middle and toward the end as it is at the beginning. It starts off great. But then it goes on. And on. And on. And takes itself ever more seriously at each turn.

Jamie Graham, Games Radar

Army of the Dead is too long while still leaving much unexplained – animated series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas and prequel movie Army of Thieves will take care of that – and it only touches upon the intriguing idea of the government using the zombie plague to strip away civil liberties. But it’s plenty fun, whether changing up the established rules of the Z-movie or offering set-pieces, gung-ho in slo-mo, choreographed to covers of Elvis’ "Viva Las Vegas", The Doors’ "The End" and an acoustic version of The Cranberries’ "Zombie".

Heather Wixson, Daily Dead

And even though I think that Army of the Dead could have probably used one more pass on its script that would have really benefited Snyder’s ambitious vision that’s on display here, there are still plenty of aspects that work well in Army of the Dead, making it an engrossing and a truly unexpected thrill ride that dares to mix things up with the tried-and-true zombie formula we’re all too familiar with these days.

A'bidah Zaid, Geek Culture

In all, Army of the Dead is the breath of fresh air this overdone zombie genre needs. Beautifully presenting new ideas and great acting by Dave Bautista all at once with an incredible soundtrack, this zombie movie is as good as it gets, and we can’t wait to see the prequel and animated series up next.

Hannah Strong, Little White Lies

It’s a shame that Army of Dead falls so flat, because the concept of a zombie heist movie is undeniably intriguing, particularly at a time when we all need a little escapism. It’s not even that zombie films can’t be political (Romero’s filmography attests to that), but if you are aiming to make a statement then mere glancing in the direction of social injustice isn’t going to cut it. Snyder’s enthusiasm always comes across in interviews, but it rarely translates to the screen, and Army of the Dead ends up as a bloated jumble of slo-mo violence and misjudged attempts at emotional resonance.

Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

Snyder and company may not have delivered a perfect film, or even one on par with his unassailable, killer remake Dawn of the Dead, but it’s entertaining enough, featuring great kills and a solid, vulnerable performance from a talented leading man deserving of a longer time basking in the spotlight.

Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

There’s enough gore, mayhem, and decay in Army of the Dead to make for a satisfying zombie-movie experience, and while it’s the best film Snyder has made since his last “of the Dead,” it’s also one that continually hints at the more satisfying work it might have been. The director goes all-in on spectacle, but his script is a pair of threes.

John Nugent, Empire Magazine

Army Of The Dead is best when Snyder leans into the fun, and allows himself moments of pure silliness. When he aims for more emotional territory — like the rather trite guilt-to-redemption arc between Scott and his estranged daughter, played capably by Ella Purnell — we start to feel the weight of that running time. Drilled down, there’s not much going on under the bonnet, either; as in his take on Dawn, the satirical edge of Romero’s zombies has been blunted. But when the bullets start flying and the zombie flesh starts exploding, it feels like Snyder is doing exactly what he wants, and that early 2004 promise comes right back into focus.

A.A. Down, AV Club

In a way, this B-movie on an A budget gets closer to the values of George Romero, the godfather of zombie cinema, than Snyder’s actual, hyper-adrenalized remake of Romero’s masterpiece. Turning Vegas into a fallen kingdom, its towers of glamour and vice emptied out, at least superficially recalls the satiric function of the multi-tiered shopping mall of Dawn Of The Dead, even if Snyder doesn’t pull hard enough on that thread.

Eric Kohn, Indiewire

Discerning viewers may have more than a few questions as the movie heads toward a cliffhanger that promises the franchise around the corner, but the bulk of Army of the Dead is self-explanatory. It’s a blockbuster that funnels the appeal of big-budget action and horror with an almost sacred reverence for the material. That’s absurd, but Snyder’s a true believer in go-for-broke escapism and at its best, the mayhem in Army of the Dead is an infectious zombie bite of its own.

Although the reviews are decidedly mixed, they certainly seem to agree that Army of the Dead has moments where it shines. This is likely thanks to Snyder's ability to craft engaging blockbusters comes in, even if they tend to falter when it comes to the plot. While the director hasn't necessarily mastered narrative, his visual style is perfect for the kind of fun, bombastic movies that he makes. One thing is clear from all these reviews, though: this isn't anything like Dawn of the Dead.

Snyder already made clear that Army of the Dead isn't a continuation of what he began in his very first film, but it seems that's true in more ways than one. The director is staring down the pipe at a massive zombie franchise at Netflix as evidenced by the various mentions of cliffhangers and world-building in critics' reviews. Army of the Dead is just the beginning of that universe and it sounds like it's a solid, if shaky start to what could be a huge venture for the director and Netflix.