Partly successful attempt to blend styles that are hard to blend.

Rating: 7/10 (28 November 2004)

Okay, even though I surely don't regret having watched this film, I won't be joining the other reviewers around here who all claim it's a hilarious movie and/or the best horror comedy in decades. The intentions of cast and crew are good, there are plenty of good gags and the characters are likable but overall it feels like something is missing. It sure isn't obvious to mix a splatter-horror subgenre with comical situations so the premise of this 'Shaun of the Dead' doesn't work all the time. Nevertheless, there's enough ingeniousness and originality to make this a worthwhile film. The setting of a grey, banal London suburb with its typical inhabitants suits the story really well and the actors do their absolute best to provide this film with a human character. But it's not as hilarious as it looks and it's simply impossible to uphold a light-headed atmosphere when you're dealing with an apocalyptic theme. In case you're not familiar with the plot: 29-year-old Shaun is stuck in his monotonous life of dead-end job, nagging mother and lowlife roommate. His more ambitious girlfriend breaks up with him and just when he plans to make some serious changes to win her back, a mysterious disease resurrects the dead and turns the living into an endangered species. While the army of ravenous zombies keeps on growing, Shaun rescues his girl and some friends by bringing them to their favorite pub. Some of the gags (like when the gang learns to move like zombies in order to keep a low profile) are really good but the film is a bit too long and the drama eventually overrules the horror. Actually, the very best aspects in 'Shaun of the Dead' are the numerous references towards milestone zombie movies, but I fear these sublime findings are a bit lost on wider audiences. Shaun of the Dead brings homage to the Romero trilogy, The Evil Dead and many Italian classics. For true horror fans, it's a joy to track down all the subtle tributes. Overall, this gem sure is worth renting but the hype in enjoys at the moment is a bit unmerited.