PLOT:
Years after the zombie apocalypse, the scattered remnants of human civilization have reorganized enough to establish a chain of protected city-states across North America. One such sanctuary is concentrated within the triangular peninsula of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which contains a feudal-like government. Bordered on two sides by rivers and barricaded on the third with an electrified fence guarded by a militia, the city has become a haven in which its citizens live in relative security. Outside the city's barriers is a no-man's-land of barren countryside and dilapidated suburban towns long deserted by living humans but overrun with legions of the dead. The rich and powerful live in a luxury high-rise called Fiddler's Green, while the rest of the population subsists in squalor. All forms of commerce within this protected zone are controlled by Paul Kaufman, the city's ruthless plutocratic ruler. He has sponsored Dead Reckoning, an armored personnel vehicle that can travel through the zombie-infested areas with ease.
Riley Denbo is the designer and commander of Dead Reckoning. Unlike Kaufman, Riley is respected for his work in protecting the citizens, as well as providing them with food and medical supplies that the citizens can no longer safely acquire themselves. Using Dead Reckoning, Riley and his crew venture into areas overrun with zombies to scavenge for necessary supplies. They also retrieve luxury items such as designer clothing and top-shelf brands of liquor as these things offer a powerful means of barter within Kaufman's oppressive oligarchic regime. On one mission, they notice many zombies exhibiting intelligent behavior. This is especially seen in one such zombie, "Big Daddy", formerly a gas station attendant. During the mission, rookie Mike is bitten by a zombie and commits suicide before he turns.
After the mission, Riley retires from commanding Dead Reckoning. Weary of a hard-scrabble life in a post-apocalyptic city, he plans to leave the urban sanctuary for the open road to Canada once repairs on his car are finished. Back in the city, he discovers his car missing and he visits Chihuahua whose men were to be fixing it. There, he sees a prostitute named Slack being forced into a cage with some zombies to entertain guests. Riley and Charlie save Slack; Charlie kills Chihuahua in the ensuing chaos. Riley, Charlie, and Slack are arrested. Slack reveals that Kaufman ordered her execution, for helping a resistance leader named Mulligan to instigate rebellion among the poor.
Meanwhile, Cholo DeMora, Dead Reckoning's second in command, is denied an apartment in Fiddler's Green despite his dirty service to Kaufman in disposing of his political enemies. In retaliation, Cholo takes over Dead Reckoning and threatens to destroy Fiddler's Green with it if Kaufman does not comply with his request for a $5,000,000 ransom. Kaufman approaches Riley and tasks him, as well as Charlie and Slack, to retrieve Dead Reckoning. They are supervised by Manolete, Motown, and Pillsbury.
On the way, Manolete is bitten and then killed by Slack. After catching up with Dead Reckoning, Riley approaches the vehicle alone. Charlie, Slack, and Pillsbury follow him after subduing Motown and leaving her behind. Realizing Riley is working for Kaufman, Cholo holds both Riley and Charlie at gunpoint. As he prepares to fire Dead Reckoning's missiles at Fiddler's Green, Riley uses a small device and deactivates Dead Reckoning's weapons systems; he then destroys the device. Motown, who had regained consciousness, opens fire and nearly kills both Riley and Cholo (who is maimed by one of the gunshots). She is bitten by a zombie and killed by Slack. Riley convinces Cholo to allow him to escape North and join him, but the latter decides to return to Fiddler's Green to deal with Kaufman; his partner Foxy accompanies him. While en route, Cholo is bitten by a zombie and leaves to kill Kaufman by himself as a zombie. Riley takes over Dead Reckoning once again and returns to Fiddler's Green.
Elsewhere, Big Daddy (who has gathered a large group of zombies) realizes that they can walk safely underwater, and leads the zombies across the river to the human city where they breach a section of the perimeter fence. Due to years of the rich's shortsighted negligence in combat training, the border guards are swiftly overwhelmed. With the zombies swarming into the once secure areas of the city, the electrified fences that once kept them out have now become a wall to trap the humans inside. Seeing the city overrun, Kaufman runs with his money and encounters a zombie Cholo in the parking garage. As the two struggle, Big Daddy kills both with an exploding propane tank.
Riley's group arrives at the city only to come upon a raised drawbridge. Riley leaves to bring the bridge down, but a small pack of zombies attacks Dead Reckoning. Riley and the others dispose of and evade the zombies. After crossing the bridge, they helplessly witness people being eaten by the zombies and mercy-kill them with missiles. It is then revealed that most of the poor people were led to safety by Mulligan, thus surviving the assault. Riley and Mulligan share a well-meaning goodbye as they split up with their groups. As they see Big Daddy and the zombies leaving the city, sparing the surviving humans, Riley decides to leave them alone as well, citing that they are just looking for a place to go, too. While lighting the rest of the fireworks (which were earlier used to distract the zombies, but are now useless), Riley's group sets off for Canada on Dead Reckoning.
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