Shaun of the Dead

An unfunny, unimaginative and somewhat schizophrenic mix of comedy, parody and sometimes unexpectedly serious drama (the scene with the killing of the mother). The screenwriter didn't eat much funny porridge, so most of the scenes that look humorous or are "set up" for a funny punchline fizzle out. After that, even the superbly typecast actors and the fine looking zombies can't save the final impression. What I did like was the great ending and the creators' reference to the godfather of gore, Lucio Fulci, naming a pub after him. (10/03/2005)

The British sent the undead to the London suburbs and countered them with dry English humor mixed with the darkest elements. A simple plot, where the emphasis is placed more on the characters, "twists" into an exemplary zombie slaughter in the second half. The methods for their extermination are prepared and effective, so much so that you'll soon lose count of bloody splatters, shot heads, or pierced bodies. It's almost unbelievable that throughout the entire ninety minutes, the film managed to maintain the right comedic perspective. Even when the joke quality occasionally dips into awkwardness, there are always plenty of brighter moments that genuinely bring out the laughter. Perhaps only the final resolution of the situation is a bit too much "for effect," but even that cannot take away from the overall comfort and stylishness that reigns over the film. When collars and chains appeared at the very end, it all fell into place for me. (10/01/2005)

Shaun of the Dead has long been my favorite zombie comedy. I love the English sense of humor as well as the Pegg and Frost, and I got both. Plus, Bill Nighy as Phillip is also part of the package. The cast is great, the script is flawless, and it’s a multi-genre film, so there’s something for everyone. Simon Pegg has done a great job here both as a writer and an actor. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s one of my favorites. And remember, all roads lead to Winchester! (08/02/2016)

A romantic comedy... With zombies! Despite getting slower and less funny from half way through, before that it is so full of great scenes and snappy lines that you just can’t help enjoying yourself. The gang that created the Britcom Spaced doesn’t let themselves down even in this feature-length movie. Overall, any weaker moments during the movie are made up for by the final study into what happens to the average Joe zombie once the troubles are over... The poor dear. (11/21/2004)

A playful romp, humorously edited to the rhythm of rock burners. The pacing is great and the characters are instantly endearing, the survival part is not that interesting, but there are still a lot of hilarious situational jokes and if nothing else, at least I sympathized with the heroes who ran to their favourite pub to hide from the zombie apocalypse. I like the fact that the film manages to stand on its own two feet and doesn't just reproduce the established tropes of zombie horror, even if it is paradoxically detrimental at times. (08/06/2018)