Land of the Dead | 2005
"Land of the Dead," also known as George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead," is a 2005 post-apocalyptic horror film written and directed by George A. Romero. It is the fourth film in Romero's six-part "Living Dead" series, following "Night of the Living Dead," "Dawn of the Dead," and "Day of the Dead," with "Diary of the Dead" and "Survival of the Dead" released afterward. Released on June 24, 2005, in North America, "Land of the Dead" was produced with a budget ranging from $15 million to $19 million, making it the highest-budget film in the series, and it grossed $46 million.
The story of "Land of the Dead" deals with a zombie attack in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a feudal government exists. The survivors have taken refuge in the Golden Triangle area of Pittsburgh, which is protected on two sides by rivers and on the third side by an electric barrier known as "the Mouth." The city, having emerged years after the zombie apocalypse, has become a sanctuary where citizens can live relatively safely. Outside the city walls lies a desolate countryside filled with abandoned suburban towns teeming with the undead. The wealthy and powerful live in a high-rise building called "Fiddler's Green," while the rest of the population struggles to survive in miserable conditions. All commercial activities within the sanctuary are controlled by the ruthless capitalist ruler Paul Kaufman, who sponsors an armored vehicle called "Dead Reckoning" for safe passage through the zombie-infested areas.
Riley Denbo is the designer and commander of Dead Reckoning. Unlike Kaufman, Riley is respected for his commitment to protecting citizens and providing them with food and medical supplies that are otherwise scarce. Using Dead Reckoning, Riley and his team venture into the zombie-filled regions to gather essential supplies, including luxury items like high-end clothing and branded alcohol, which serve as powerful currency in Kaufman’s oppressive oligarchy. During one mission, they witness many zombies exhibiting intelligent behavior, particularly a zombie nicknamed "Big Daddy," who retains memories of his past life as a gas station attendant. During the mission, a rookie named Mike is bitten by a zombie and commits suicide before he can turn.
After the mission, Riley retires from his command of Dead Reckoning, exhausted from the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic life, and plans to leave for Canada once his car is repaired. Upon returning to the city, he discovers his car is missing and visits a chop shop. There, he sees a prostitute named Slack trapped in a cage with zombies for entertainment. Riley and Charlie rescue Slack, resulting in the death of the chop shop owner. Riley, Charlie, and Slack are arrested, and Slack reveals that Kaufman ordered her execution in exchange for aiding resistance leader Mulligan.
Meanwhile, Cholo DeMora, the second-in-command of Dead Reckoning, is denied a luxury apartment in Fiddler's Green despite his dirty work for Kaufman. In retaliation, Cholo seizes Dead Reckoning and threatens to destroy Fiddler's Green if Kaufman does not pay him a $5 million ransom. Kaufman approaches Riley, assigning him and Charlie and Slack the mission to retrieve Dead Reckoning, which is now under Cholo's control.
On their way, Manolete is bitten and killed by Slack. After catching up to Dead Reckoning, Riley approaches the vehicle alone. Charlie, Slack, and Pillsbury subdue Cholo after he realizes Riley is working for Kaufman. As Cholo prepares to launch a missile at Fiddler's Green, Riley uses a device to disable the vehicle's weapons system. An awakened Motown nearly shoots Riley and Cholo (who is severely injured). She is bitten by a zombie and killed by Slack. Riley convinces Cholo to let him escape north, but Cholo decides to return to kill Kaufman, joined by his partner Foxy. On the way, Cholo is bitten by a zombie and heads off alone to confront Kaufman. Riley regains control of Dead Reckoning and returns to Fiddler's Green.
Meanwhile, Big Daddy has rallied the zombies and realizes they can swim safely across the river to the human city, breaching the barrier. Due to the wealthy's short-term negligence of combat training, the guards are quickly overwhelmed. As the zombies flood into the once-safe city, the electric fence that used to protect them becomes a wall trapping the humans. Seeing the city being overrun, Kaufman flees with his money and encounters zombie Cholo in a parking lot. The two fight, and Big Daddy kills them both with an exploding propane tank.
Riley's group arrives in the city only to find the drawbridge raised. He leaves to lower the bridge, but a small group of zombies attacks Dead Reckoning. After dealing with the zombies, they manage to cross the bridge and witness people being devoured. They mercifully kill them with missiles. It is then revealed that most of the poor have survived under Mulligan’s leadership. Riley and Mulligan part ways, wishing each other well as they watch Big Daddy and the zombies leave the city. Riley decides to let them go, mentioning that they are also searching for a place to go. After igniting the remaining fireworks (which were previously used to distract zombies but are now useless), Riley’s group sets off for Canada in Dead Reckoning.
After a decade of indifference towards the zombie genre in the 1990s, the 2000s saw a resurgence in popularity thanks to box office hits like "28 Days Later" (2002) and "Zombieland" (2004). This inspired George A. Romero to create the long-awaited fourth installment in his zombie series since "Day of the Dead," released in 1985. Romero negotiated with 20th Century Fox, who wanted to title the film "Night of the Living Dead." However, Romero wanted to use "Dead Reckoning," and the studio insisted on "Night of the Living Dead: Dead Reckoning." Ultimately, Fox sought to retain rights to the "Living Dead" franchise, and Romero decided not to deal with them. After negotiating with Universal Pictures, Romero received a budget offer of $15 million to $19 million, the highest for the series, allowing him to incorporate elements he had been unable to use in "Day of the Dead" due to budget constraints.
