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Solidly shocking 'Land of the Dead' shows Romero's still sharp

Pop quiz, hotshots: You live in a world in which the zombies have taken over, and one of the people in charge is Dennis Hopper. What do you do? That's the question director and zombie maestro George A. Romero tackles in the solidly shocking "Land of the Dead."

Much of the movie's fun comes from the fact that Romero is behind the camera at all. The director had endured a long dry spell, unable to get his projects funded. Romero hadn't made a widely distributed movie since 1993's "The Dark Half," and he hadn't dealt with zombies since "Day of the Dead" in 1985.

Universal Studios 'Land of the Dead' B The verdict: Romero's teeth may not be at their sharpest, but "Land of the Dead" proves his bite still smarts. Director: George A. Romero Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Robert Joy, Dennis Hopper, Eugene Clark, Pedro Miguel Arce Run time: 93 minutes Release date: June 24, 2005 Rating: R for pervasive strong violence and gore, language, brief sexuality and some drug use. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "Land of the Dead"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Then, in recent years, zombies began running amuck in the movies again with the success of Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later," the cult hit "Shaun of the Dead" and last year's surprisingly effective remake of Romero's own "Dawn of the Dead." It was time for the man who practically invented the zombie flick to prove he still had his chops.

Having lumbered their way through three Romero films, "Night of the Living Dead," (still one of the most harrowing movies ever made), "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead," it's no surprise that in "Land of the Dead," the zombies have become dominant. The remaining humans take cover in a walled city, with the haves hiding in skyscrapers and the have-nots forced to do most of the fighting.

Resentment has particularly swelled between soldier Cholo (John Leguizamo) and bigwig Kaufman (Dennis Hopper). Cholo rebels and steals a tank-like machine called Dead Reckoning, while Kaufman orders commander Riley (Simon Baker) to stop him. On top of all that, it seems that the zombies are getting smarter by the day — er, night.

Romero fans will rip my flesh for this, but I don't think "Land of the Dead" measures up to the "Dawn of the Dead" remake, much less Romero's earlier classics. I rooted for the characters in the Dawn remake, but the characters in this film are mostly flat and uninteresting. I didn't get much involved with the heroes' or villains' plight.

Even the usually nutty Hopper downshifts a few gears here. The zombies chew more scenery than he does.

Still, since Romero excels at satire, it may well be his point that the zombies show more life than the humans. I especially liked how he made the "lead" zombie who shows glimmers of intelligence a black man, a sly spin on the cliche of the black character dying first.

Most importantly, Romero's power to shock remains delightfully intact. Unlike the scores of lesser directors he has influenced, Romero doesn't telegraph his scares. The many "wows," "whoas" and "yeows" the preview audience sounded came from genuine surprise, which is all too rare in too many so-called horror movies. Zombie purists (now there's a oxymoron) will also be pleased that Romero's zombies do not sprint.

Romero's teeth may not be at their sharpest, but "Land of the Dead" proves his bite still smarts.