Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Reviews Counted: 189
Fresh: 172 | Rotten: 17
Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 39
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 3
Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 487,205
Movie Info
It's often said that the true character of a man is only revealed in times of dire crisis, and for likable, lovelorn loser Shaun (Simon Pegg), that moment of reckoning came when the dead rose from their slumber to feast on the flesh of the living. A hapless electronics store employee who spends most of his spare time downing pints at the local pub with his roommate, Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun's life seems to fall apart when he is dumped by his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), and his obnoxious
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Cast
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Simon Pegg
Shaun -
Kate Ashfield
Liz -
Nick Frost
Ed -
Dylan Moran
David -
Lucy Davis
Dianne -
Penelope Wilton
Barbara -
Bill Nighy
Phillip -
Peter Serafinowicz
Pete -
Jessica Stevenson
Yvonne -
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Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Himself -
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All Critics (189) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (172) | Rotten (17) | DVD (50)
The pasty, scruffy Pegg shows a surprising amount of range for the unlikely hero of a zombie flick.
Top CriticThe movie bogs down and the humor seems to dry up, though the blood continues to well, spurt and spew.
The cast make a cosy fit, the patter is still sitcom snappy, but Wright also has the visual snap to carry this saga of backyard apocalypse.
For those who don't mind a little laughter with their zombies (or perhaps it should be the other way around), this is an unusual source of entertainment.
...the second half of the film is just a standard horror movie showdown with a few mildly amusing gags.
The movie has been running on shtick for so long that the attempt at drama rings hollow.
For everyone who likes good acting and great writing, it's a bloody fun time and a wonderful display of how parody should be done.
If you like Pegg and director Edgar Wright's cult Channel 4 series Spaced, you'll enjoy this deadpan blend of undergraduate humour and hardcore horror, which ransacks George A Romero's Dead saga and virtually every Italian zombie flick for inspiration.
Pegg, who cowrote Shaun with director Edgar Wright, shows off expert timing, whacking punchlines and zombies with equal panache.
Mixing horror and humor is no mean feat, but Shaun Of The Dead tightens throats in fear without making the laughs stick there in the process.
Enough of a pointed study of character that it's more than just a collection of some of the best and most ridiculous jokes in a generation.
Smart, likeable and consistently funny, Shaun Of The Dead is one of the most popular British comedies of the last few decades, and deservedly so.
Like Romero's best efforts, the movie is motored by a keen observational reality, cleverly twisting the characters' mundane world inch by inch until the real nightmare dawns on them.
Some funny moments, but for adults only.
Pedestrian direction and script sap what anarchic fun this movie could've been
Shaun of the Dead is not only one of the single best zombie movies ever made, but it's also as close to perfect as a film can get.
A modern masterpiece, this is probably altogether the funniest and scariest film I've seen in years...
Comedy and horror are real life partners, of course, and who better to bring all this to life in a zombie movie than the Brits?
Extremely well made but only sporadically engaging...
I think the movie is one of the most hilarious I've ever seen ... But the symbolism and depth of the movie make me appreciate it as a masterpiece.
In this most apocalyptic of genres, Shaun of the Dead is not unlike a ray of unexpected sunshine - even if it has a little red on it.
...not only a loving, teasing homage to the Romero Dead films. It's also a superb zombie film in its own right...
A romantic zombie comedy that tips its hat to George Romero and mines one very funny spoof that doesn't ignore the rules of the zombie horror genre--though it does tamper with them.
Shaun is able to balance the comedy and the gore in a way that will satisfy both zombie genre fans and less bloodthirsty viewers.
Audience Reviews for Shaun of the Dead
NOTE: Keep an eye out for Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright when you watch George A.Romero's Land Of The Dead
Super Reviewer
Movies Like Shaun of the Dead
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- David: What?
- Dianne: I know you only hung out with me to get close to Liz and when she knocked you back, I was there to pick up the pieces. I've come to terms with that, Daffs, why can't you?
- David: Lizzie, I want you to know that my feelings for you...
- Dianne: David! There are slightly more pressing matters at hand here.
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- Dianne: You've never thought I was good enough.
- David: What?
- Dianne: We all know you're in love with Liz.
- David: That is not true.
- Shaun: Yes it is!
- David: That is not true.
- Dianne: Yes it is.
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- Ed: He's gonna be dead either way.
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- Pete: All he ever does is hold you back. Or is it easier having someone around who's more of a loser than you?
- Shaun: What's that supposed to mean?
- Pete: You know what I mean.
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- Shaun: I've known him since primary school. I like having him around, he's a laugh.
- Pete: Because he can impersonate an orangutan? Fuck-a-doodle-doo.
- Shaun: Leave him alone.
- Pete: I admit, he can be pretty funny on occasion.
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- Shaun: Mum, it's Philip, he's gone.
- Barbara: Where's he gone?
- Shaun: Mum, he's dead.
- Barbara: No, he isn't.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| overrated | 8 days ago | 8 |
| one of the funniest films ever | 12 days ago | 1 |
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Foreign Titles
- Shaun of the Dead (DE)
- Shaun Of The Dead (UK)
Put simply, a regular working stiff must contend with his everyday mundane life that includes various family problems and girlfriend issues. Oh and at the same time there's that zombie apocalypse thing to deal with also, geez some days you just can't catch a break huh.
Now I will admit I'm not a zombie fan, I'm more of a vampire and werewolf person, my reasons? simply because all zombie flicks are almost identical. This comedy/parody/homage is again no difference from the myriad of other zombie flicks out there accept its funny. There is no real explanation for the zombie outbreak, it just happens, but that's not important, this is simply an amusing sketch that has been stretched out into a film.
That's not to say it doesn't work as it does, but its not as good as many rave on about in my personal opinion. I didn't really get on with the film when I saw it the first time round and this time I can still see why. The start of the film is great fun, I really enjoyed watching'Shaun' flounder in his dead end job with his young teenage staff that don't give a shit...a typical British trait that I've seen in reality. I liked to watch him and his best mate 'Ed' in their trashy rented accommodation that is easily a 'Men Behaving Badly/Bottom' type scenario that we Brits do so well.
The set up for the film is perfect, a slobby male couple who seem to crawl through life having work/girlfriend issues but plenty of time for drinking and Playstation. Nick Frost is the perfect pub dwelling, overweight, student-like representation and Pegg is the perfect down trodden bloke dreaming of better things. As the zombie outbreak starts to flare up I loved how these two guys don't really notice and when they do it still takes time for it to sink in (as it would). Small sequences where they attack zombies, try to work out what's going on by sitting on the couch, having a drink and watching TV and then trying to get to Shaun's mums house are the best moments early on in the film.
I guess what I don't like about the film is the fact it turns into a semi serious weepy/drama...almost. As the film progresses and the small band of survivors haul up in a pub (how typically British), the film does tend to get quite emotional in parts, little moments that do actually put a lump in your throat (when Shaun's mum dies). Its these points that make me wonder what the film actually wants to be. Essentially the film splits and takes on a whole new approach, first half is a funny sight gag parody, second half becomes a more serious action thriller with emotional deaths, I'm just not sure that I liked that decision.
Its certainly an amusing jaunt that adheres to the old school original zombie school of thought...or laws. In that I mean the zombies are slow moving, lurching creatures that groan a lot and stagger around arms outstretched in a cliched manner. They don't run or think or assist each other, they just stumble around and eat whatever happens to fall in their path, oh and there are are plenty of little tributes to various other zombie classics of course. Think of it along the lines of 'An American Werewolf in London' but not as dark or adult, but as I've said in my other reviews this could so easily be the next Monty Python flick.
Plenty of offensive British language which we all love so much, toilet humour, gore and pop culture references galore. The cast are excellent, the whole film looks good in that quirky little England type of way (good old North London eh) and the dialog is sharp...but I still think 'Hot Fuzz' is the superior of the trilogy.