Shaun of the Dead

A zombie comedy with British English and pleasantly corrupt morals – the two main protagonists are easy-going slackers and they’re cool. The actors, including Kate Ashfield, are well cast and the film’s brisk beginning is very promising, but the screenplay gradually runs out of ideas and merely flounders helplessly, ripping off what it can (I repeat ripping off, not parodying – there is a difference). This film actually doesn’t even have a plot. Rather, it attempts to be just a funny situational comedy, in which the important thing isn’t WHAT happens, but HOW it happens in a space of a few square meters. With the exception of the aforementioned beginning, I was bored most of the time and surprised by the screenwriter’s limited imagination. (10/24/2004)

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)

Shaun of the Dead is the perfect example of a dud that doesn’t work, no matter how you look at it. I’m quite surprised that it has so many fans. (08/14/2009)

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)

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 parody that didn't work out. It doesn't offend, discourage, but it doesn't make you laugh either. Just a couple of jokes, a few references, and the rest of the running time is just a tired beating, which rather plagiarizes than mocks zombies over time. And this problematic genre offers us hundreds of subjects for jokes. (01/26/2006)

Saun of the Dead is not a groundbreaking piece of cinema that would change the perspective of the respective genre and make its mark in the history of cinema. However, it offers clever and pure entertainment, similar to what films like District 9 or Love Actually provide in a different genre. There is a certain comparison to be made with the film Drag Me to Hell, where Raimi directed a film that genre specialists with enough perspective would appreciate more, whereas Wright directed a pure comedy suitable for a more mainstream audience, borrowing only the props from the horror genre. The screenplay is important, as it was co-written by the well-known British comedian Simon Pegg and contains ingredients typical of his work, such as irony that sometimes turns into sharp sarcasm, perspective, absurdity, and the ability to precisely pinpoint the weaknesses of an average British citizen and employee. As is typical for his films, the first half is excellent, while the second half loses a bit of steam and does not fully exploit all the possibilities that the situation offers. Objectively speaking, it's not a five-star film, but in his case, I'm happy to give it five stars. I have never been a fan of the zombie subgenre, and except for Snyder's remake of Dawn of the Dead, this horror motif never worked for me. I always felt that it had far greater potential in the satire and comedy genre. Overall impression: 90%. (04/06/2010)

A great comedy that honors the rules of the genre, but at the same time is packed full of fun, good mood and is a celebration of friendship. The gory finale is one of the best I’ve seen. Gorgeous situation humor and a great cast. Pegg and Frost on best form. (08/18/2019)

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)

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)