Right, well a zombie movie with Michael Jai White in the leading role, what isn't there to like here?
Sure, as I sat down to watch the 2022 action horror movie "Dead Zone", I had never heard about it. But seeing it was a zombie movie, of course I had to watch it. And seeing that Michael Jai White was on the cast list, well that was just a great bonus.
The storyline in "Dead Zone", as written by Jeffrey Giles, Michael Klug and Michael Lurie, was pretty much as generic and unimaginative as you could get. This was textbook how-to-make-a-zombie-movie, right down to the letter. And that didn't make for a particularly good movie. Nay, this was pretty stale and cumbersome.
Aside from a very bland and monotonous storyline, then the character gallery in the movie was pretty weak. I honestly didn't care one bit about any of the character, and I don't even remember their names, and I have literally just gotten out of my seat from having sat down to watch "Dead Zone".
The acting performances in the movie were fairly wooden and rigid, and I do wonder how come Michael Jai White is showing up in so many dubious movies these years. Don't expect to be in for a grand cinematic experience of Shakespearian levels when (and if) you sit down to watch "Dead Zone".
The special effects in the movie were fairly limited, feeling like the movie was on a very strict and tight budget. Having made use of more elaborate and spectacular special effects and CGI might have done wonders for an otherwise stale movie experience. And as for the infected in the movie, they were as low-key as you get, and it just made the ordeal feel very amateurish.
If you enjoy zombie movies, like I do, then do yourself a favor and steer clear of "Dead Zone". Believe me, it simply isn't worth the effort, time or money.
My rating of "Dead Zone" lands on a very generous three out of ten stars.
