Search - George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead (Single-Disc Edition) on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/17/2022...

A hybrid plotline that worked. Great acting, great action! Need I say more! A must for Zombie and Undead fans!

Jason C. (JJC) from NEWARK, NJ
Reviewed on 8/26/2010...

“Survival of the Dead” follows the further zombie adventures of a minor character from “Diary of the Dead.” Sarge Crockett (Alan Van Sprang), the military asshole that robbed the documentary crew in “Diary,” is still kicking ass, taking names and roaming the lands with his small team. The story gets very interesting when we’re introduced to Patrick O’Flynn (a superb Kenneth Welsh), a stubborn and one-sided Irishman, who resides with what’s left of his family line on Plum Island off the coast of Delaware and wants to cleanup the island of all zombies and control it as his own as a safe land. Only one problem, Plum also has another Irish family line, led by the equally stubborn Seamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick), and he wants control rights on the Island as well. Seamus believes that there maybe a cure for the zombie virus or moreso, a high hope that zombies will resort to eating animals instead of humans. This is why Seamus won’t kill his undead loved ones. After a standoff takes place between the two Irish families, Seamus exiles Patrick (and some of his loyals) off the island, his life spared at the request of Patrick’s daughter, Janet (Kathleen Munroe).

Our anti-hero Crockett and his crew come across a video message created by Patrick O’Flynn stating that Plum Island is a safe haven and a great place to settle. Crockett and company then approach the boating dock to Plum Island only to be ambushed by Patrick and his loyals. Crockett and his crew manage to take out Patrick’s few remaining loyals and manage to snag a boat en route to Plum. Patrick, convinces Crockett that his intentions are good and just wants to get back to the Island and claim what’s his. He tells Crockett of what Seamus has done and Crockett picks his side. Patrick, as slithery and tyrannical as he might be, is good-intentioned. And once again, the O’Flynn vs. Muldoon war ensues to its biting, bloody end. There are a few other plot points I didn’t get into, involving O’Flynn’s daughter, Seamus’ ranch hand and a sly teenager (Devon Bostick) that Crockett picks up along the way.

“Survival of the Dead” is a good entry to the saga, but not a great one. I feel Romero has yet to accomplish in this new zombie trilogy what he created with his first zombie trilogy. I do feel however, that bringing in the old-fashioned ‘this is my land’ feud between families was brilliant, and Kenneth Welsh’s performance as Patrick O’Flynn is one to be remembered and commended. He steals every scene he’s in. The zombies aren’t creepy in this one either, in fact, they are quite pathetic this time around. The zombie outbreak is very underused for most of this film, we get some bullet in the head splatter and some funny zombie deaths, but it’s not till the end when we really get Romero’s trademark zombie gorefest, and even then, it is pretty short and tame compared to his original trilogy.

I still admire Romero, and found “Survival” to be fun and interesting, but the zombies are pretty lame.

**1/2 (out of ****)

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