Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a twenty-nine year old man with no direction in his life. His daily routine includes working at an electronics store and then spending time at the bar with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), and his friend (and flatmate), Ed (Nick Frost). Worried that her relationship with Shaun will doom her to a life of daily visits to the pub and nights full of regret, Liz breaks up with him. Ordinarily, that would give Shaun enough reason to be concerned about his love life. Unfortunately, the recently deceased have started coming back to life and Shaun and Ed have to figure out how to escape their house, rescue Liz and Shaun’s mum, Barbara (Penelope Wilton,) and find their way to safety.
Shaun of the Dead is a mashup of romantic comedy, zombie horror, and biting British humor in one convenient package. Who would ask for such a combination? I’m not quite sure, but it certainly made me laugh out loud. Shaun and Ed are likable slackers with little ambition and a good sense of humor. Their interactions alone are worth the price of admission. With the added camaraderie of Liz’s friends, Di (Lucy Davis) and David (Dylan Moran), the humor stays focused on the turmoil between Shaun and his friends rather than the zombies. The zombies are an annoyance that interrupts the frequent — and quite funny — spats between the main characters.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are veterans of the British TV show Spaced, which I have never seen, but it’s obvious that the two have developed comedic chemistry and that helps Shaun of the Dead immensely. Shaun’s trip to the grocery store after a night of heavy drinking and his eventual realization that things are not normal is classic.
Shaun of the Dead is definitely a niche movie. How many romantic comedy fans are going to endure the heavy gore present in the zombie scenes? If the concept sounds appealing to you, then the movie won’t let you down. If the mere description of the plot sounds like it won’t work for you, chances are you’re right. For everyone else, this is a classic comedy/zombie movie and a must-see.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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