Bloody Funny

Rating: 8/10 (19 April 2004)

Meet Shaun, a 29 year old senior electronics shop assistant (because he's the oldest one there) who lives in a flat with a miserable git, Pete (Peter Serafinowicz) and a lazy git, Ed (Nick Frost). His social life consists of the local pub. Shaun's girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield) is bored, she hates the pub and wants some romance in the relationship, but after yet another cock-up from Shaun, she dumps him. Trouble is, the undead have just starting roaming the streets...
Shaun of the dead is funny. Hilarious, in fact. But, it's not actually a spoof. Zom-Rom-Com runs the tagline and that's exactly what you get. It's got zombie's, claret and various bizarre ways of eliminating them, Shaun and Ed rifling through the record collection, carefully selecting LP's to behead the undead with. It's got romance, Shaun and Liz's relationship bouncing back and forth, coming to a head as they find the pub under siege and no escape. And it's got comedy, built not from piss-take zombie bashing, but from everyday banter and satirical observations at the expense of the entire British nation. It even has moments of genuine melodrama, such as when Shaun realises he must take out his mother before she turns, in a set-up aping "Reservoir Dogs" classic ending. Telly addicts will have a field day spotting the plethora of stars on display (Lucy Davis - The Office, Dylan Moran - Black Books, Bill Nighy, - Auf Wiedersehen Pet) while others are of the blink and you'll miss them variety, including fellow "Spaced" co-star Jessica Stevenson as another survivor.
The yanks will probably hate this. The humour is very British, in fact the whole thing is, and lovers of the original 60's and 70's shockers will find plenty to moan at. But, let them. Shaun of the Dead is one of the funniest British comedies in a very long time. Writers Edgar Wright and Shaun Pegg should be applauded for their ability to look at British life and take the piss out of it, while also maintaining a credibility many serious movies fail to adhere to.
8 out of 10