This superbly visual infection movie gives everything that genre fans have come to expect: blood, gore, flesh-eating zombies, fast-paced action and social commentary. Throw in some well-timed comedy and refreshing character development and you have a release that has "risen" the bar. Often, movies of this type rely on the zombies and gore to keep the viewer in their seat, and though "The Risen" is no slouch in this area, it is the characters that propel us into and through the action.

We are introduced to Sam Mills (Joe Thackery) and his wife Jenny (Gigi Erneta) as they realize their sleepy suburban village has become the buffet of the undead. The two are joined by Sam's crackhead brother Nick (Jason Harper) as they set out to find the couples infant daughter who has become lost in this zombie holocaust. When the gang stops for gas, they rescue a Texas born Jordinian named A.K. (Karim Irteimeh) along with his injured relative and head for a makeshift rescue station hoping to find the whereabouts of their missing daughter. Unfortunately it becomes overrun and with the help of a Texas Ranger (Stephen Lee) the group heads for a government compound and the chance of reuniting the family.

Given that the genre itself has been seemingly overrun with throwaway plots and characters that are just waiting to be eaten, "The Risen" sets itself apart by giving the viewers the whole package. The sets are meticulous, the makeup and effects (and zombies) are liberal, and the characters are believable. Sure, it gets campy at times, but the suspension of disbelief is swallowed by the urgency of the characters situation. Also, it doesn't rely on the toungue-in-cheek cliches, but utilizes its stereotypes as reinforcements to its development. America is a cliche, we are all stereotypical. What would you do in this situation? The humanity of the characters and the heart of those involved in front of and behind the scenes make this release a cut above.