Movie Review: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

The movie stars Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis and Dylan Moran.

I could have sworn my wife and I watched this movie shortly after it first came out. But, according to her, that did not happen and, when I realized I couldn't remember anything about it, I found myself believing her. So, since we ended up canceling our evening plans anyway, we wound up making a frozen pizza and taking the time to watch it.

At first, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a movie I would enjoy. The film takes a while to get started and, to be honest, watching Shaun's (Pegg) depressing life play out on the screen was less funny and more boring. However, once the film finally got going, I had to admit, it was pretty good.

I think the thing that I really liked about this film was the way Shaun and his friend, Ed (Frost), were slow to let the whole zombie apocalypse thing sink in. This started with them not even noticing it (they thought everyone was drunk) and, after that, gradually trying to figure things out (the part with them throwing records at the zombies was hilarious).

I was also surprised by how well this movie managed to change the overall mood. It remained a comedy. But, there were quite a few suspenseful scenes (especially when they get trapped in the tavern) and even a couple emotional goodbyes. It was honestly not something I was expecting to happen when we started this film.

Another thing I found I liked about this film was the way it would subtly pay tribute to other zombie films, like The Night of the Living Dead. Some of the tributes were easier to spot than others, and I probably missed a couple as a result, but the ones I did notice were pretty good. More films, including comedies, should add Easter eggs like that.

As I said before, the movie starts off slow. But, once it gets going, it is entertaining until the very end. I do recommend taking the time to watch it if you haven't seen it.

My Grade: A