Shaun of the Dead: Zombies, gore, jokes...mmm mmmm good! 10/10

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2004)

Dog Soldiers.
28 Days Later.
Haute Tension.
Undead.
Over the past year or so, it seems that just about all of the great horror films have come from everywhere but the USA. With the release of Shaun of the Dead, that streak seems to want to keep on keepin' on.
Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe that I now have a brand spankin' new "favorite zombie film ever". We've talked about this in a few threads so far this year, have it be about the trailer or whatever, and I just now got the chance to watch this instant classic tonight. When I woke up today I didn't have any intention on view it today, but thank God that all of that changed.
The film starts out somewhat slow, a rather odd pacing for a film of this sort. We are introduced to all of the characters right off the bat, in a way that feels more like a drama or a romantic comedy than any sort of horror film. Then again, as the tagline says, it is basically a romantic comedy...with zombies. Starting out, I was questioning the way it began, but once it was all said and done it made the start of the film just feel perfect to me. You had enough of all of the characters by the time the real action started, that all of the characters actually meant something to you.
I appreciate that, especially in a film of this sort. Many filmmakers never take the time to allow the viewer to have any sort of understanding of any of the characters in a film like this, with the exception of one or two main stars.
So yeah, a romantic comedy...with zombies is basically what we have here, and by God it's absolutely perfect. Even at the start, when the plot seems to be going at a slower pace, there are things in the background letting you know what is to come, various little things where you see the zombie epidemic starting up, and it's just a riot. Shaun doesn't seem to expect anything, and why should he? Afterall, who in their right mind would actually take small details and come to the conclusion that zombies must be a comin'?
I can't remember the last time a "horror" film had such a perfect mixture of, well, everything. Laughs (a lot of laughs), sentimental moments, straight up action, gore gore and more gore, a great script, a fantastic and simple plot, and every other thing you could ask for. It's all here, and it all comes together unlike any film in recent memory.
Oh yeah, the zombies in this film...they aren't kung-fu stars, they don't run up and down the streets, and they aren't superhuman. What we're dealing with here are old school, hard-core, wanting nothing but YOUR flesh zombies who can hardly stand up or walk.
Just the way I like em.
Without even needing to think about it for even a second, without second thoughts, this gets an instant 10/10 rating from me. Dawn of the Dead? House of 1000 Corpses? House of the Dead? I don't think so, nothing like that can even touch this film, it's not even a contest. Hey, I loved Dawn of the Dead just as much as the next guy, it was great also, but Shaun just blows it out of the water in my opinion.
It's weird, in Shaun I literally do not have a single complaint. There wasn't even a character that I hated, like there almost always is in a film like this. I either flat out loved every character in the film, or I loved to hate them. If this one is released in theaters here in the USA, you can be sure that I'll be the first one standing in line. I already want to see it on the big screen, and I really want the DVD right now.
Yeah, I say it's my favorite "zombie" film, but it's much more than that also. I mean, I have the same sort of feeling now that I've seen this film that I had after seeing flicks like Big Fish and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind earlier this year. That feeling being of 100% satisfaction.
Download it, then watch it in the theater when it comes out here in the USA, and then buy the DVD.
And pray to God for a sequel of some sort, or at least another feature film from the duo of Simon Pegg (main star) and Edgar Wright (director). They also co-wrote the script with one another, this being their first major feature film. So that's all for now, I'm sure I'll make more comments on this as the thread goes forward. I just wanted to get a few things off my chest before bed. Hopefully this will get a few of you interested in it, just as I helped some people get interested in Haute Tension, Undead, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
We can't allow films like these to go unnoticed.