**BEWARE: SPOILERS AHEAD.**

Coming into Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, I was excited. It was a zombie movie with a dash of heist madness. Who can say no to that? Not this girl; at first, at least. And I looked at the cast and realized that it was stacked with some really talented actors that I’ve wanted to see more of. From Ana de la Reguera to Raúl Castillo, I was ready for some badass Latinx representation and then some.

Instead, what I got was a bland and unseasoned movie with characters that looked great on the surface but lacked the emotional depth to be compelling. And again, I understand that this is a zombie movie and that depth shouldn’t be the first thing I’m looking for. But even Zombieland and Train to Busan had emotional depth, and they were just as weird and wild as Army of the Dead.

This movie had the fixings that make for greatness when it comes to creating a more mainstream and positive representation of who we are as Latinx people. Instead, it was squandered for the development of other characters instead of their own. And that disheartening fact is part of Army of the Dead from start to finish.

*FINAL WARNING BEFORE SPOILERS*

How They Did Maria Cruz Dirty

Contrary to what you see in the trailer, Ana de la Reguera’s Cruz is just as important as Dave Bautista’s Ward. She isn’t his right-hand woman. Instead, she’s his partner and the first person that he goes to when he needs to put together a team. And as they build their team together, you can see how much they trust each other and respect what the other brings to the table.

That speaks of a bond that is stronger than the zombie apocalypse and that I hoped would permeate through the rest of the film. Unfortunately, it didn’t. It’s like as soon as they entered Las Vegas, that connection they had before suddenly just disappeared. It was all about the job and getting out of the city as soon as possible because of zombies and all that jazz.

Also, Army of the Dead spent time molding a Cruz that knew how to use a weapon and destroy any zombie that came her way. That didn’t translate too well when they returned to Las Vegas, and it shows. She was just a person to carry the gasoline and follow the lead of those around her, making me forget that she was even there sometimes.

Then came her unfortunate death, which you could see coming a mile away. Out of nowhere, Cruz starts expressing her feelings to Ward. She tells him why she chose this mission and how he matters to her. Ward returns the sentiment, and that’s when I knew it wouldn’t end well. Expressing feelings in a movie like this is always a quick and dirty way to make emotional drama before a swift end.

And with how Army of the Dead continued to disappoint me, I was sure that she was toast. And I was right. She was toast in the most ridiculous way, too. From one second to the next, she was gone, and there was no time for mourning because the team had to survive—understandable, but it just makes for a forgettable Latinx character that could’ve been more.

Ultimately, Cruz started out as Ward’s partner and ended up being window dressing for his man pain and development. And that right there is an unforgivable and frankly bold move in 2021, a.k.a. the year that I thought we were done with this kind of narrative. Obviously, we’re not, and I’m disappointed that it came from a movie that I was anticipating so much.

How They Did Mikey Guzman Dirty

For one, they underutilized Raúl Castillo’s character, Mikey Guzman. He was set up from the very first moment as this reckless guy who took chances that others didn’t. That’s why they wanted him to be part of the team. He would be the wild card that would provide them with out-of-this-world and innovative ways to survive, thrive, and kill the zombies.

But did we get this? No, not really. There were some moments where I went, “Oh, he’s a really good shot.” But that’s about it. Because he was a good shot when it was convenient and not when his partner needed help before she was taken down. No, let’s just have him standing there until someone else tells him to leave her because she’s a lost cause.

Excuse me? That is not the picture Army of the Dead painted when it came to Guzman. If anything, he would’ve thrown himself into the fray because he understands that there’s one thing you never do. Doesn’t matter if you’re in your streets or a zombie-infested Las Vegas, he would’ve never left one of his own behind.

Then there’s the fact that he doesn’t really connect with anyone to make him a valued member of the team. Like, he’s an outsider when it comes to the bond that Ward, Cruz, and Van have. And when you write in a character like Guzman, you get him to bond with one of the core three, in turn making us care if the character dies or not.

Army of the Dead made it so I never clicked that much with Guzman besides the thought that Raúl Castillo looked amazing with the blonde hair, something I never thought I’d find attractive, but here we are. Ultimately, this left me with a Latinx character I was desperate to know but didn’t care about once he bit the dust.

How They Did Chambers Dirty

Now, just to be clear, there is no one look for Latinx women. We come in all shapes, sizes, and shades. But Hollywood, they don’t know that. And when they think of a Latina from the West Coast, they think Chicana. For those that don’t know what that is, it’s a term coined by Mexican-American women who wanted to cement and embrace who they were as Latinas in the U.S.

Looking at Chambers, I instantly saw Hollywood’s definition of what a Latinx woman on the West Coast looks like. They had her wearing a bandana, gold hoop earrings, a choker, and a necklace with a name written on it. But since this movie had Ana de la Reguera and Raúl Castillo, I just side-eyed Chambers’ stereotypical outfit and thought there were 3 Latinx people in Army of the Dead.

Come to find out that Samantha Win, the actress who plays Chambers, isn’t Latinx at all. To say I’m disappointed at this is an understatement, because the production and the Snyders knew what they were doing when they dressed her like that. They were playing to a Latinx stereotype, and I foolishly walked right into it and fell for Chambers.

I remember, despite the stereotypes, loving Chambers and admiring her for being such a badass Latina. She didn’t take anyone’s shit and she was calm, cool, and collected. And when she started kicking ass, oh I was in love! Her unfortunate death in Army of the Dead skewered all that and left me feeling like I lost a great character.

Now, I’m grieving Chambers for a whole new reason. She was a Latina played by someone who wasn’t. And honestly, I’m tired. There are plenty of Latinx people out there, willing and ready to take on roles in Hollywood films and shows. And instead of giving these actors opportunities, or just straightforward giving us desperately needed Asian representation since Win is Chinese-Canadian, Hollywood keeps misrepresenting who we are as a community.

Just add this as another reason why I’m disappointed in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.

(image: Clay Enos/Netflix)

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The post Netflix’s Army of the Dead Did Its Latinx Characters Dirty first appeared on The Mary Sue.