Hilarious & Scary

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2005)

After hearing all of the buzz online about Shaun of the Dead and seeing the Dawn of the Dead remake earlier in the year and enjoying it (though it had nothing to do with or was nowhere near as good as Romero's Dead films, including Land of the Dead), I had extremely high expectations. Needless to say, it far exceeded my expectations. Shaun of the Dead is a fantastic movie.
First off, you will enjoy the film more if you like British humor, like Monty Python or Mr. Bean. This is not saying you won't enjoy it if you don't like British humor, but you may not find some of the jokes funny.
The characters are great. Simon Pegg is perfect as Shaun and looks good sporting the white shirt and red tie. Nick Frost is laid back as Ed and pulls it of wonderfully. The always useful Bill Nighy gives a great supporting performance as Shaun's step-dad. All of the other characters are perfect in their roles as well, especially Liz and Pete.
The comic genius of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright is exactly that: genius. The film has so many hilariously funny parts, especially whenever Shaun and Ed encounter zombies. The way they deal with them is gut-bustingly funny. There's great dialogue between the characters, especially between Shaun and Ed, who are obviously friends in real life. I won't give away any of the jokes, you've got to watch it for yourself. The likable characters play off of one another so well that it makes the film ten times better. The film also has many amusing and much appreciated nods to Romero's Dead films. When they talk to Shaun's mom on the phone, listen to what Ed says before they hang up. Being a big fan of Romero's Dead films and horror movies in general, I was laughing at things most people didn't get.
Once the dead rise, Shaun of the Dead becomes an effective zombie movie, but still retains its comedic elements. The zombies themselves are very well done. These are the 'shambling' zombie variety, which I prefer because I find them scarier. The scenes when Ed and Shaun are driving through London are excellent, displaying chaos and lots of zombies (I loved the ambulance zombie, very clever). My favorite scene in the entire film is when Shaun walks to Nelson's shop after the zombies have risen. The movie showcases some top-notch gore, with some chunky zombie bites, messy headshots, and a scene where one character gets ripped in half and eaten. If you're a gore-hound like me, you won't be disappointed. Yummy!
Finally, I loved the music. Edgar Wright utilized some of Goblin's original music from the original Dawn of the Dead throughout the film. It worked well with the film and was a nice nod to Romero. The music through the rest of the film ranges from British pop/rock to Queen and it works perfectly.
The Bottom Line:
A side-splittingly funny zombie movie with some nice gore and excellent nods to George A. Romero. Shaun of the Dead is the perfect Rom-Zom-Com (romantic zombie comedy).