The movie title and the mall are all this movie shares with its original.

Don't misunderstand me. I LOVE this movie, I just don't consider it an homage to a Romero original. This is just a 21st century zombie movie at its best. To me, it's a standalone and I love it from beginning to end.

First off, if you'll notice, this is not an installment in a series of anything. In 1978, the original was released as a sequel to Night of the Living Dead, where Dawn 78 opens in a world already overrun. The 2004 version starts off where nothing is happening, everyone is going about their normal lives, no rumors, no news coverage, and when the real action begins, nobody knows what the hell is going on.

This one just opens into a really good movie, probably designed to stand on its own. And it does that well. Everyone just hunkers down in a shopping mall, which is just a good idea anyway. You're set for anything you need. Everything else is new. New character dynamic, new situations, no motorcycle gang and nothing else that really compares to the earlier film. It's just based on a concept. Nothing more.

And I won't try to pit one against the other. That's not fair to either. I love each equally and for different reasons.