Army of the Dead is one of the most painfully inept movies to release this year.
Worse yet, it doesn’t have an ounce of self-awareness. It’s ludicrous to me how this movie is being touted as a launching pad for Netflix’s zombie universe.
There are a couple of saving graces though. When Zack Snyder loses his ridiculous soft-focus fetish, he composes some pleasing shots and the action sequences are crisp.
The surprise, however, was Dave Bautista’s expertly delicate performance. There is a depth to his work that feels almost unworthy of the movie.
Now, it’s no surprise that Bautista can play this shade of sensitive—he has brandished it prior in a brief yet memorable turn in Blade Runner 2049.
In Army of the Dead, he is given more time, and more to chew on. And he carries the movie on his hulking shoulders.
Typically, for wrestlers turned actors, that phrase would indicate that said actor has the presence and action chops to see the movie through.
But in Bautista’s case, apart from fulfilling those roles, he is also the emotional core of the movie—this is high-caliber work from the actor, all things considered.
What works for Batista is how expertly he plays in contrast to his size and sheer physicality.
He is remarkable in the sense that despite his brawn and presence; he can show vulnerability to an even stronger degree. It is a rare gift.
And nowhere has Batista unfurled it as well as he does here—the perfect hang-dog expression, benevolent eyes and an aura of vulnerability all combine to produce a performance rich in maturity, nuance and depth.
In the realm of wrestlers-turned-actors, Batista is possibly the one with the highest ceiling as far as dramatic work is concerned.
Dwayne Johnson might be the most charismatic and John Cena is undoubtedly the funniest, but Dave Batista might just be the best actor in that lot.
He is the best thing about Army of the Dead, and the only aspect of the movie I found compelling.