Movie Review - Shaun of the Dead (2004 – Great Britain)
Funny & scary at the same time
Shaun of the Dead somehow manages to be twisted and hilarious and thought provoking and ultimately even oddly poignant—an unexpectedly wonderful film!
The running gags hold the plot together as things go from bad to worse to just plain dreadful for the unexpectedly-plucky and extremely unlikely hero, a thirty-something, decidedly low-rung slacker named Shaun (Simon Pegg), who rises to the occasion when faced with a delightfully unexplained rash of zombification taking over his working-class 'hood. He and his erstwhile girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield) and best mate Ed (Nick Frost) band together to fight off the relentless hoard of zombies and save themselves and Shaun’s not-as-clueless-as-she-seems mum (Penelope Wilton), which inevitably leads to a standoff of epic proportions at the pub.
Walk like a zombie
Watch this hilarious comedy right now:
Watch the trailer:
The special effects are very good, which translates to mean that this is a very gory film, albeit the humor softens the harshness of the blood and guts. There is also an unexpected sweetness to the satire, which helps it cut less, and tickle more. It's especially welcome to discover one need not be a fan of horror genre to enjoy this picture, all one needs is a sense of humor and a willingness to go along for the ride.
Very highly recommended.
Copyright © Roberta Lee 2012. All rights reserved.
(I am an artist and the author of the Suburban Sprawl series of novels as well as two nonfiction books. Find out more about my work at RobertaLeeArt.com.)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr. 39 min.
In Theaters: Sep 24, 2004
On DVD: Dec 21, 2004
Box Office: $13.5M
Distributor: Focus Features
Directed By: Edgar Wright
Written By: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Cast:
Simon Pegg - Shaun
Kate Ashfield - Liz
Nick Frost - Ed
Lucy Davis - Dianne
Penelope Wilton - Barbara (mum)
Dylan Moran - David
A zombie is as a zombie does
