Mostly this movie is camp. It is technically horror, but it will not scare many people. Most of the scares are from surprises rather than violent death scenes. Once again, like with shooting Diary as a found-footage, Romero wanted to do something different, so instead of going for horror and gore, he went for fun and camp. This movie takes a page out of Russo's Return series. The film is certainly entertaining but it feels like it is out of left field, esp. since it is a direct sequel to Diary of the Dead. What I mean is, with every Romero zombie movie thus far, the sequel always deals with a completely new set of characters in an entirely new setting regardless of whether anyone from the previous movie survived or now. However, this time, the movies main character is a direct character from Diary that we saw for about less than 5 minutes. Yep, it's the national guard member that stole the supplies from the kids given to them by another earlier national guard member. I guess that is kind of a spoiler if you have not watched Diary yet but I'm assuming you watch each movie before reading the next review unless the movies are non related like Day of the Dead and Diary of the Dead. Anyway, this is somewhat new. Surprising, and unexpected from Romero. I mean I guess that is why some fans do not like it along the same lines of why they do not like Diary: It is not classic Romero. I beg to differ of course, Diary is very Romero just done in a different way, and anyway I already reviewed Diary. Back to my original point, Survival is more of a comedy—I'm not just saying this....Romero even admits it in the movie's introduction on the DVD.
Like I said the movie focuses around the prick from the previous movie who once we get to know him isn't as big as a prick as we thought. He is joined by a few other National Guard members who followed him when he went AWOL. This characters name is great by the way, it is obviously a pseudonym for one reason or another he picked up but it can't be his real name and I actually know why Romero gave him a weird very obviously fake and cliché action hero macho man name: Sergeant Nicotine Crockett.....yeah I know. Read my next review: Land of the Dead, to get the full story behind this.
Anyway, with him are Tomboy, the first gay/lesbian character featured in a Romero movie Francisco, Lt Vaughn, who soon find and rescue a boy from some rednecks (again with the rednecks) who joins up with them. Later this group will meet Patrick O'Flynn former 'leader' of the O'Flynns on an island owned and shared my two Irish families: The O'Flynns and the Muldoons.
Patrick was kicked off the island by Shamus Muldoon for two reasons. 1: the Muldoons had the upper hand at the time in regards to firearms and man power and 2, The two families have been constantly having disputes over every little thing and every facet of life (and, as it were, death) since anyone can remember (since the founding of the island who know how long ago). Their latest dispute? How to deal with the recently risen. Patrick is a Liberal and level headed. He sees that the dead are dead and even if a cure comes along it will only save those still alive. There is no cure for death and thus the only logical and safest thing to do is to put a bullet in the brain of every zombie on the island (including risen Muldoons) which is a great idea and would in theory keep the island zombie free and a safe haven for survivors like our National Guard friends. However, Shamus, being more conservative sees this as an act of god and believes there will one day be a cure to bring the risen fully back to life and that we should keep them alive and try to teach them and train them, specifically to eat other things than people such as pigs and horses. The idea rather makes sense but you have to figure that eventually you would run out of animals to feed them and yourselves esp. since they outnumber the living. Shamus is kind of like Logan from Day except more crazy, more misguided, less willing to listen to reason.
That is the premise and plot of Survival: the two feuding families, the ethical question of what to do with the undead, (which this film as well as any and every other zombie film gives a clear answer to), and how stubborn old men can be stuck in their ways.
This brings me to a theme I haven't mentioned until now because after watching all of the movies I’ve reviewed so far you can now look back and notice it: Slight religious overtones. In every movie, there is reference to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. However, that does not really matter.
So themes of this movie? It is a bit harder to find unless you use the one that the plot hits you in the face. It also has the classic ironic Romero ending. That is one of the greatest parts of the film: the ending. Not only is it classic Ironic Romero, but this time it is also slightly comical. The message is simple: some people are so stubborn and so set in their ways and so determined to prove themselves right that they will fight and argue to the point of dangerous levels if the situation allows for it (i.e. availability of guns and constantly being surrounded by walking corpses). They can also be so stuck in their ways that the feuds continue even after death. Just like the zombies being drawn to the mall in Dawn because somewhere in all that minimal neuron firing, a memory of consumerism holds on because it was so engrained on their psyches, so too does Survival go back to this allegorical theory.
Another smaller theme is gay equal rights: I know I do not do spoilers like this but I feel this time is different. Since this movie is not intended to be taken as seriously as the previous ones and since this involves a possible message of the film I feel it is acceptable. You know that cliché about the black character dying first because the movie/writers/directors/producers are racist? Well...if the opposite events are true does that mean that the opposite can be said about the writer/director/producer? Romero's films make it clear he is for equality in regards to race but what of sexual orientation? Well...SPOILER ALERT! One of the few survivors of Survival is the lesbian character of Tomboy. Is it significant? Does it mean anything? Maybe, possibly...who knows?
Simply put this movie is more for fun and camp entertainment than scares and gore factors: but overall, it is still a decent film and since the next and final film in Romero's series is objectively his worst, I give Survival of the Dead a generous but fun 2.95 out of 5 stars.
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