Idiosyncratic and strangely sweet.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:171
Fresh:155
Rotten:16
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for zombie violence/gore and language
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:09-04-2004
Synopsis: Edgar Wright's horror-comedy film, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, follows the title character (Simon Pegg) through his mundane life in London. Joined by his immature and ever-present roommate, Ed (Nick Frost),... Edgar Wright's horror-comedy film, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, follows the title character (Simon Pegg) through his mundane life in London. Joined by his immature and ever-present roommate, Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun excels at nothing except drinking pints of ale and watching television, which causes friction with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield). Before Shaun can save his relationship, however, he's got to fend off a horde of zombies that are slowly taking over the city. Armed with a cricket bat and a vague sense of direction, Shaun must rescue his friends and loved ones, and bring them to the only safe place he can think of--the pub. Cowritten by Wright and Pegg, SHAUN OF THE DEAD succeeds remarkably well at combining droll British humor with good, old-fashioned zombie cinema. While the movie is often hilariously amusing, it takes its horror pedigree seriously, offering up moments of genuine suspense, and even a healthy dose of gore. Pegg is oddly charming as the put-upon lead slacker, and Frost is appropriately oafish, but the living dead themselves also take up a fair amount of screen time, shuffling and limping in their best Romero form. For lovers of zombie films and other chills-and-chuckles outings like EVIL DEAD II and DEAD ALIVE, SHAUN OF THE DEAD is an instant cult classic. [More]
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, Penelope Wilton, Dylan Moran, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy
Director: Edgar Wright
Director: Edgar Wright
Screenwriter: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Studio: Rogue Pictures
Reviews for Shaun of the Dead
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.
Shaun of the Dead will appeal to audiences of all ages and tastes, and is a fine example of British comedy done well.
Even when in danger of self-destructing, it cadges laughs with smart lines, silly observations or blokish inside jokes about zombie movies, video games and pub nibbles.
One of the endearing aspects of Shaun of the Dead is that, like Young Frankenstein, it pokes fun at its inspirations but plays by their rules.
Pegg and Wright brilliantly send up both the zombie genre and British society by showing how mindless everyday life is--there are zombies all around us!
It is, in terms of pacing, comic references and home furnishings, an undeniably British production, and hugely enjoyable for it.
[T]the inevitable switch to romance taints the irony that came before like backwash.
Silly drop-dead sight gags that don't seem to work as well as intended but, nevertheless, offer some humor.
It may want to be, as the British might say, a bloody riot, but in fact it seems to suffer from a case of comedic anemia.
Desperate, dull and enough to have Romero's zombies spinning in their graves. Well, more than usual, anyway.
Latest News for Shaun of the Dead
April 02, 2009:
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There can be few actors better suited to starring in a film about the golden age of British rock and roll than Bill Nighy. No wonder, then, that he's front and centre as part of... More...
March 30, 2009:
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Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are busy guys, but they don't have too much going on to start thinking about the next chapter in their "Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy," titled "The... More...
February 25, 2009:
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September 30, 2008:
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"Shaun of the Dead" and "Little Britain" actor Matt Lucas has joined the cast of Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" in a dual role. Yep, you guessed it -- he's Tweedledee and... More...
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