Wonderful homage to the Romero franchise...with a British twist

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2005)

George Romero's American homegrown zombie franchise - "Night of the Living Dead" (1969), "Dawn of the Dead" (1978, and a somewhat tepid remake in 2004) and "Day of the Dead" (1981) - has spawned dozens of imitations, send-ups and downright rip-offs, but none as cleverly tongue-in-cheek as this new British entry.
Shaun is a disenfranchised Peter Pan, idling away the last moments of his twenties living with roommates, hanging out at his local pub, and working a menial retail job. He and his friends don't seem to notice the ever-growing army of reanimated flesh-eaters, instead being absorbed in their interpersonal relationships and romances. Only when circumstances grow dire and demand action do they reluctantly formulate a plan.
In addition to this display of large-scale apathy, the film boasts hilarious dialog, well-developed and competently acted characters, and literally hundreds of tips of the hat to George Romero's shambling remnants of Western civilization. For fans of the genre, I highly recommend this one.