Shaun of the Dead
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Movie Reviews of Shaun of the Dead
Movie Review: A zombie apocalypse as the path to personal growth
Summary: 5 Stars
You're twenty-something, at the crossroad in your life, maybe you hate your job or your relationship is in trouble...we've all been there. But things don't really get grim until you throw the end of the world into the mix. Which is exactly what happens to the eponymous Shaun of "Shaun of the Dead". Every day is the same and his life is going nowhere, which is precisely what has gotten him dumped. His college era friendships are looking a little long on the tooth, and he has no career to speak of. Fortunately, a zombie plague is giving him the opportunity to show his true mettle.
What is perhaps most engaging about this film is that while it is a parody, with numerous flat out hilarious moments, it is also offers up some genuine thrills, a bit of romance and a surprisingly realistic portrayal of the strains and emotion of an end of the world type scenario. The film begins simply enough with Shaun reeling through life, largely detached from the surrounding world. Until one day his routine falls rather alarmingly apart when the urban zombies he encounters turn out to be actual zombies.
As Shaun and his ne'er do well pal Ed set out to rescue his mother and his girlfriend the directors do a nice job of whipsawing from parody to drama to horror and back again. While "Shaun of the Dead" is first and foremost a comedy, it offers some surprisingly poignant moments, including Shaun's reconciliation with his badly mauled stepfather. Of course, it offers the best fight sequence set to Queen since "Highlander"; although this one doesn't involve swords, so don't take things to seriously.
What lends to the comedy, and also to the interesting dynamic, is that the cast is made up exclusively of normal people. No cops, not even any security guards; no one with martial arts training, etc. When Shaun's band finally gets their hands on a gun, none of them can hit a thing with it. Moreover, they fight and backbite, and while Shaun does rise to the occasion, he is far from infallible.
The most interesting aspect of these relationships is that between Shaun and his recently ex-girlfriend Liz. She dumps him because he was doing nothing with his life, but now that he's making a go of it, the circumstances hardly seem right. The directors insert their give and take in to the flow of the action perfectly; their interaction is never out of context or over the top. A such, it has more in common with old time Hollywood romances that it does with the over the top grope-fests one expects today, and the result is a certain sweetness that nicely offsets the rather grim setting.
Offering laugh out loud moments, a few nice chills and some really interesting social commentary, "Shaun of the Dead" was a surprisingly complex movie. While it nicely lampoons just about every zombie film you've ever seen, it is hardly derivative. Those who enjoyed Max Brooks' book "The Zombie Survival Guide" will particularly appreciate the film as much of the comedy is the subtle, tongue in cheek satire the British do so well. That said, don't rule "Shaun of the Dead" out just because you're not a fan of the genre; it's one of the more unique films you're ever likely to see and a real treat.
Jake Mohlman
Movie Review: Nothing like a splash of blood to draw a smile...
Summary: 5 Stars
It could be called a habit, it could be called an obsession...I call it love.
I had heard about "Shaun of the Dead" about a year ago.
And, as always with ANY film dealing with the Living Dead, the anticiapation grew. Over the years, since George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" drew my attention, I had used Romero's films as a basis for what a 'good' zombie film should look like, feel like...(taste like?)...
Normally, when it comes to horror mixing with comedy in films, most viewers are disappointed. There's a 'recipe' for integrating these two genres, and most outcomes are disasterous. I must admit that I prefer straight-up horror; I love the feeling of my adrenaline racing, the feel of encompasing darkness surrounding me in a theatre as I watch the story unfold. But, occasionally, a film will slip through that cover and hit me because of it's unique style, with such force, that I have to admit that, yes, the two genres can work off of one another...It just takes a director with great timing, actors who can deliver the lines with superb authority and a pace that draws me in as a viewer.
With "Shaun of the Dead", I found all of that...And more!
As a parody of Zombie films, and playing off George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" title, "Shaun of the Dead" introduced us to the title character, Shaun. Following a typical day in Shaun's life as a retail clerk, the audience is introduced to a cast of lively characters (well, in the beginning they are alive). The director uses a number of quirky relationships to play off one another as the world starts to fall apart, and the dead begin to walk. A number of times, I sat there, feeling that, maybe, just maybe, Shaun was starting to catch on to what was going on in the world around him, but, no, Shaun just...well, he just didn't get it. With this, it was the timing that worked, the delivery of the lines and, all in all, the reactions of the actors to the environment and situation that made the scenes work.
Peter Jackson brought us "Dead Alive" a few years back. A film about the Living Dead, splashed with comedy, "Dead Alive" succeeded in following the 'recipe' for combining the horror and comedy genres. With "Shaun of the Dead", we have seen success again. Sure, there are moments of horrific violence, but it's done in such a light-hearted way that you can't help but smile as a girl falls back on a metal pipe which pierces a hole several inches wide in her stomach. The blood is gratuitous at some points, but neither the horror aspects, nor the comedy aspects, distract from one another.
This past week I picked up a copy of "Shaun of the Dead", brought it home and watched it...and watched it again...In five days, I had watched the film eight times. In fact, writing this review has gotten me so fired up over the film again, that I'm going to pop it in and watch it again...
Hold on...
There we go. Anyways, I need to go make some popcorn. I have an EXCELLENT film to watch...Again.
Movie Review: A Brilliant "Rom-Zom-Com"
Summary: 5 Stars
The recent surge of horror remakes has been replete with glossy, flashy movies full of generic scores mixed with meaningless nu-metal music, unoriginal storylines, carnage suitable only for cookie-cutter teen audiences, and the problem of taking themselves all too seriously. What's happened to the inventive, darkly funny horror films of yester-year, such as "The Evil Dead" and "Dead Alive"? Hollywood has all but forgotten what once made horror films great, but it seems that the UK is out to remind them. First with "28 Days Later", a film that put a new spin on the zombie genre, and now with "Shaun of the Dead", a hilarious romantic zombie comedy, or "rom-zom-com".
"Shaun of the Dead" is about, well, Shaun (Pegg), a man who is at a crossroads in his life. He works a dead-end job, he lives with his slob of a best friend, Ed (Frost), and he was just dumped by his girlfriend of three years, Liz (Ashfield). In the midst of trying to sort all of this out, a zombie epidemic just happens to break out, and this only "exacerbates" things for him.
Right from the first frame, we get the feeling that this is a thoroughly complete horror comedy, as right away it features The Goblins' score for the original "Dawn of the Dead". The references to classic horror films and filmmakers just flow and flow constantly, as the film gives a nod to everything from Romero's "Dead" series (obviously) to "The Evil Dead" to Lucio Fulci. The way the film approaches the zombie invasion is extremely clever and well-handled, featuring several brilliant sequences, one of which shows Shaun routinely walking the streets of London on a perfectly average morning and then walking them again on the morning of the undead, or, dare I say it, the "dawn of the dead" (insert eye-roll here), without even noticing the difference. But what really makes the film outstanding is not just the horror element, but the fact that this would be a hysterical and wonderful film even without the zombie twist. The acting is excellent, especially from Simon Pegg, who delivers gags with perfect comic timing, pulls off heated confrontations expertly, and even nails the film's demanding emotional scenes (yes, there are demanding emotional scenes).
Not only does the film keep the laughs and the inventiveness flowing, but it also delivers what so many of the sleek Hollywood horror remakes of late have been forgetting: gore. It's complete with squirting blood, gushing bites, head-shots, and even a disembowling. Also, the ending, though something of a deus ex machina, is still extremely inventive and is most certainly a crowd pleaser.
Edward Wright (co-writer/director) and Simon Pegg (co-writer) have delivered a film that will satisfy the demands of horror purists, romantic comedy fans, and just about every other kind of moviegoer there is (except for maybe the teens that are in love with "The Grudge" and "Dawn of the Dead" (2004)), for it is truly a film that doesn't forget any of the elements of a great horror movie, comedy, or drama.
9/10
Movie Review: There's nothing scary about Shaun of the Dead.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you've never been a fan of British comedy before, this movie is excellent beginner's fodder. This is nothing like the Monty Python or the Are You Being Served? humor that you may be used to. There isn't a whole lot to try and understand. It's Americanized humor that just happens to have a British accent. The same way that "Shaun of the Dead" is a love story that just happens to involve zombies.
Shaun, (Simon Pegg), is riddled with guilt after his girlfriend, Liz, (Kate Ashfield), finally rejects his juvenile ways and dumps him. His friend and roommate Ed, (Nick Frost), tries to console him at the local pub, the Winchester, where they spend all of their free time, and in the middle of all this, a zombie invasion is occurring, unbeknownst for a while to the gang. Shaun vows to win Liz back but her two friends Dianne, (Lucy Davis), and David, (Dylan Moran, who you might remember from "Run, Fatboy, Run"), are trying to keep Liz away from Shaun with good intentions. Shaun works at a retail job, lives a lazy bachelor's life and thinks an idea of a good time is a time spent at, you guessed it, the Winchester!
Things change when the gang realizes that their town that has been taken over by zombies. Suddenly Shaun has to grow up, prioritize and become a man. There is a gore element to this film but if you are not the type to be bothered by it or can somehow get past it, the jokes in this film are rib-tickling and memorable. The humor ranges from Ed and Shaun having no ammo against some attacking zombies which results in a cleansing of their record collection, to Shaun and Ed leaving the Winchester while quite inebriated, singing a song with, unbeknownst to them, tonal accompaniment from the walking undead!
"Shaun of the Dead" was directed by Edgar Wright, director of the British sitcom "Spaced", from which Simon Pegg and Nick Frost originated, along with Jessica Hynes who makes a funny cameo in the film as the yin to Shaun's yang. She is leading a team of friends in the fight against the zombies also...and they just happen to look and dress similarly to the party that Shaun is leading.
If you are easily bothered by horror films, you may be put off when thinking about picking up this movie. But rest assured, the zombies aren't all that scary and the brief shots of gore are few and far between enough to turn away from the screen and still enjoy the movie. My roommate has a phobia of zombies and she was able to watch this film with little problem.
If you'd like to see any of Simon Pegg's or Nick Frost's work, or if you just want to watch some British humor that is more comprehendable than most and a lot less dry, then this is a great place to start. If you have ever been fortunate enough to catch some episodes of "Spaced", it is pretty much the same humor. Edgar Wright has some excellent direction, making even the way he shoots certain scenes in rapid succession a joy to watch. For good-natured, zombie humor, consider picking this up!
Movie Review: Brilliant stuff
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, i give it 5 stars because i AM slightly biased. I absolutley loved the film, thought it was hilarious but there are a few reasons why i would..
First off its British, and so am i. Do the 'maths'.
Secondly, and more importantly, its a result of Simon Pegg, who has been (as we say here) round the houses in terms of British comedy, and is part of the integral circle of present day Brit comics some of which you may be familiar with (Ricky Gervais in The Office, Steve Coogan in Alan Partridge). So for me to see Simon Pegg make it onto the bigscreen in a film that is basically 'his' was a real joy.
Not that it matters at all, but to those who are interested, Simon Pegg had his own Sitcom here in the UK called 'Spaced' , where he basically plays a pretty useless stoner who draws comic art for a living but doesnt really have a proper job and has a collection of absurd housemates and it follows their random adventures. Also starring in the series was Nick Frost (Ed) as a military obsessive housemate/best friend, and Daisy, who also plays a small part in the film. This was a great series, that picked up a very cult following (being on the UK's Channel 4, the mother of all Cult channels here). If you enjoyed this film and Simon Pegg's humour, and the great dialogue and banter between him and Nick, then you should look this up!
Anyway im rambling. What i loved about this film is exactly what i loved about the series Spaced. It's the hidden jokes, its the little gems that he has left in there, quotes and homages to films he clearly loves - many of which are soundbytes me and my friends use quite often . For example when Shaun climbs out the sunroof of the Jag and Nick says 'watch the leather man' - dazed and confused! love it
I havent seen the US edit, im just going to assume its the same - i can see why some of this film might have confused people, but really the accents in this film are pretty much London based entirely, very few people have any harsh regional accent that would throw people out. Given, some things are specific to the UK market like people on here have mentioned (some of the TV shows, the news presenters, the little mention of the woeful, hideous daytime TV program 'Trisha' that is famously watched by hungover and binged out students) but for the mostpart its pretty easy to get all the lines.
Another great piece of work was the 'doppelgangers'. That group of people that represent each of Shauns group like for like. Each of them are also in Sitcoms (little Britain, The league of Gentlemen) or have been along side Pegg in other stuff.
As for the high swear count, we are a pretty foul mouthed nation believe it or not, so i guess i didn't even think about that. The use of the 'C' word was so funny i choked on my drink anyway :)
Anyway truly this film is great fun, and its typical and perfect Simon Pegg, for those that care - look into 'Spaced' for more similar fun on a lower budget :)