Shaun of the Dead |
  • UK / France / USA • 2004 • 99m •   • Directed by: Edgar Wright. • Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Nicola Cunningham, Keir Mills, Matt Jaynes, Gavin Ferguson, Peter Serafinowicz, Horton Jupiter, Tim Baggaley, Arvind Doshi. • Music by: Dan Mudford, Pete Woodhead.      Shaun isn't having the greatest of times: the staff at the appliance store he works in doesn't take him very seriously as temporary boss; his girlfriend Liz has had enough of always meeting at the Winchester Arms along with his best mate; and his relationship with his dad--sorry, stepdad--remains heavily fraught. And now the living dead have risen and are spreading their zombie curse to everyone into which they can get their teeth. Just doesn't seem worth getting out of bed some days.
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Review:
Comedy: 1.82: This movie is British humour at it's best. Whether it's Ed's utter incompetence or Shaun's zombie denial, SotD is one funny movie. The only problem is it's not everyone's type of comedy. British comedy isn't for everyone. There is some bits that are really in-your-face, such as orchestrated zombie beating or the final newsreel montage, but there are many more subtle bits. Also, some of the bits are there for people who rewatch the movie to make connections, as there is a lot of foreshadowing that is hilarious the second time. If this is your type of comedy, this is your type of movie. With zombies. It also helps to have at least some knowledge of zombie movies, or else many references and spoofs will go over your head.
Horror: 1.62: For a movie based mainly on comedy, Shaun of the Dead is extremely gory. It is probably gorier than Kill Bill Volume Two or Dawn of the Dead, maybe even the Passion. As much as I like gore, it does not add much to the horror factor. While many scenes are frightening, Shaun doesn't attempt to be a horror movie out and out. The aforementioned scene involving an orchestrated zombie beating could have been scary as hell without pool cues and Queen. What it does attempt is done very well, so I give it credit here.
Acting: 1.92: I thought the acting was very good. Simon Pegg was a great Shaun. Moran, whom I've seen on Just for Laughs before, was excellent as David. And let's not forget Bill Nighy (Underworld) as the stepdad Phillip. Nick Frost didn't do an excellent job, but he was the scene stealer. Granted, any actor on a half-decent day could pull off that feat with the material he had. Another special mention to Penelope Wilton, who I thought played a great Barbara.
Entertainment: 1.72: It all depends if you like this type of humour. If you like British humour, even though this isn't as outlandish as Monty Python, you will like this. If you are a zombie movie fan, you will like this. Exclude those two things and this is not your type of movie.
Bonus +.1 for this: Ed plays none other than TimeSplitters 2 throughout the movie. I almost fell off my couch. For those who are non-gamers, TS2 is the best split-screen multiplayer game ever created (on this generation) and it's on all three major systems. Seeing this game here just made me smile. It's does have some zombies in it, so it's not completely out of place, but I would think something like Resident Evil would be more appropriate.
Total: 85%: Shaun of the Dead is simply hilarious, so I highly recommend it for those who like this kind of humour and mildly recommend for those who don't. It's also great for the gore aficionado on your list. It is one that I personally am going to buy, so it is one that I believed was good enough to own.
Review by JimD73 from the Internet Movie Database.
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