Shaun of the Dead

You couldn’t ask for a more wonderful love letter to Romero and zombie flicks than this. It’s just so cleverly written, filled with tons of delightful throwbacks to the genre’s classics that fans will get a kick out of. I love the fact that the shirt and red tie that Shaun wears matches the same shirt and tie set shown briefly in the mall in the original Dawn of the Dead. That’s right, go back and check….it’s there on one of the counters.

But even with all the homage aside, it’s still a fantastic horror comedy, and it’s absolutely hilarious. There is some truly twisted humor, which I can always appreciate. But like Dead Alive (Braindead) it also works as a romantic comedy….a romantic comedy with zombies. Shaun struggles not only with the sudden undead outbreak, but also with trying to get back together with his girlfriend. It’s a story that even people that aren’t familiar with the old classics can get into.

It’s a fresh new perspective on the zombie scene. One that actually manages to supply some originality to the genre. Counter-attacking the zombies with cricket bats and vinyl records, fooling the flesh-eaters by simply acting just like them, beating zombies to death with Queen blasting out the jukebox. This movie has the perfect blend of gags and gore, and also has a lot of heart in dealing with love and friendship, but still never feels too cutesy.

And the cast and characters are a blast. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a duo that could easily fall into the ranks Abbott and Costello or Laurel and Hardy. They have a kind of chemistry that plays perfectly off of each other and is a joy to watch. I also think Kate Ashfield is quite pretty. I could see myself hacking through some zombies to hook up with her. And casting points always go sky high when you throw Bill Nighy in the mix.

A few minor issues I had with it though. I can’t help but feel like the movie really slows down and loses a lot of steam when they barricade themselves in the bar. And though I think most of the writing in sensational, I do think the repetition of dialogue starts to get a little out of hand. There’s just a little bit too many of those “Oh ha! That’s what he said earlier and now it applies to this current situation” moments that just begin to wear out their welcome.

BOTTOM LINE: I loved it. What’s a fan of dark comedy and old school zombie flicks not to love? It’s wickedly funny, pleasantly gory and splendidly written with lovable characters and plenty of throwbacks to the zombie classics. Lots of blood, lots of laughs and lots of fun. Highly….HIGHLY recommended!!!