Day of the Dead: Bloodline follows a doctor who attempts to find a cure for the zombie outbreak within the safe confines of a military installation. After a supply run, a zombie with retained intelligence and memories stows away with the returning crew, unbeknownst to the soldiers. It turns out the zombie has a past with the doctor, and chaos ensues.
Day of the Dead: Bloodline Review
The original Day of the Dead captured magic in a bottle despite itself. That isn't necessarily a compliment. But, there have been failed attempts to recreate that magic with similar ingredients, and we can now add Bloodline to that list.
With some of the WORST audio dubbing I have ever heard, it was pretty clear from the beginning that the primarily international leads of the cast were unable to handle their American accents, so were replaced with embarrassingly distracting alternates. I had to double-check the movie wasn't a foreign remake. The acting was sub-par and dull with recited dialogue and predictable relationship progressions.
The only performance worth noting was probably that of Max the zombie (Johnathon Schaech), the "Bub clone". It helped that his make-up work was fantastic, as were most of the special effects. Even the Tarantino-esque blood geysers were fun, despite being placed in a film that was otherwise trying to be a degree of realistic.
If I were pushed, I'd say this film was attempting to be as genuine and powerful as it could be and failed miserably to do so. It has the face of a commendable attempt that inevitably falls short. The sets were weak, the acting terrible, and the plot boring and overused, even outside of the remake realm. It delivers on little beyond Schaech's performance and the effects. And while those effects are worth noting, they are tossed in such a mundane manner that even they feel cheap.
Horror Rating System
Horror Qualifier: 9/10
Horror Quality: 6/10
Film Quality: 3/10