Shaun of the Dead (2004) Review

Shaun of the Dead is the first film in the critically acclaimed “Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy” directed by Edgar Wright, staring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. This film serves as a parody on the zombie genre and is about a group of (not so much) friends caught in the middle of a zombie outbreak.

After two serious zombie films it was nice to relax with a more humorous one, well it was relaxing until shit hit the fan in the finale but we’ll get to that later. As a huge fan of Hot Fuzz and The World’s End I was surprised how long it took me to fully watch the film. When I did watch it I was glad because it is an excellent film. Not only is it a hilarious comedy but it can also be very intelligent at times with some very smart but not subtle social commentary.

Each character is fantastic, from the mains to the smaller ones; everyone performed well and was incredibly unique. Each actor was entertaining and fun to watch, especially the interactions between them.

One of the film’s strongest points though is its fantastic humour, when it comes to comedy the Brits do it best. This film has me burst out laughing on several occasions; the jokes had a huge range, Edgar Wright’s use of visual comedy amplified it. All that and great actors combined made for a very humours film, even if it was a tad cheesy at some parts.

Unlike most comedy films, Shaun of the Dead excelled at more than just getting laughs from the audience, through the use of some very effective cinematography, writing and acting, the film also achieved creating very emotional and tense scenes. The action was superb, not only slapstick but also more blockbuster-like action.

When it came to the ending I was blown away, the camera and lighting work was gorgeous. The action genuinely thrilling and the emotion was there, the people involved in this film and the entire trilogy were very talented in making the films cover a wide range, it’s not just comedy, it’s a combination of drama, romance, action, horror and comedy which when all put together made a fantastic film which I cannot wait to see again.

8.5/10

Sorry for such a short review, and Bond has been pushed back again to tomorrow, I’m reviewing both Dr. No and From Russia With Love so I won’t be behind by the time Spectre comes out.