“The middle component of a trilogy that began with Night of the Living Dead and will be completed with the promised Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead ranks among the outstanding horror films of the past decade. While the broader aspects of its satire on consumer-capitalism have been widely appreciated, less attention has been paid to its shrewd study of the essentially repressive nature of the major socially-endorsed relationships of our culture (man-woman and buddy-buddy), and the tentative progress of the two survivors towards a redefinition of male/female roles. Though not exactly optimistic, the tone of the film is far removed from the bleak and desperate nihilism of its predecessor.” --Robin Wood