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Shaun of the Dead – Film Review

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Jessica Stevenson, Peter Serafinowicz

Director: Edgar Wright

Synopsis: With his life going nowhere, stuck in a dead-end job and failing to win over his on-off girlfriend Liz, Shaun (Pegg) tries to get his life together, and must do all this, in the middle of a Zombie apocalypse…

Review: Like many fictional beings that don’t really exist in our world, humanity has seemingly always had an interest in all things Zombies. Ever since the first Zombie film debuted back in the 1930s, these horrifying creatures have been an ever present, creating their own sub-genre of horror films. But in the first film of what is now known, as the Cornetto trilogy, director Edgar Wright and his two leads Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, devoured this genre and blended a bit of romance and comedy, all while giving it a very uniquely British taste.

Shaun and his best mate Ed (Frost) are both aimless in their lives and careers, seemingly content with going nowhere, and more than happy to pass their time playing video games, and getting drunk at their favourite pub. However, when Liz (Ashfield) decides she has had enough with Shaun’s laziness, she dumps him. Being jilted gives Shaun the kick up the backside he needs to get his act, and life together and win her back. To make matters even more complicated, the city of London is now experiencing a Zombie apocalypse that throws many undead obstacles in Shaun’s path, which Shaun and Ed must now do battle with, all while on a quest to win back Liz’s heart.

**Impersonate a Zombie day was not a roaring success..**

Right away, it’s clear that Shaun is not initially the most likeable of protagonists but, probably in no small part due to Simon Pegg’s charisma and charm, he has a good heart that ultimately brings you round to his cause. That being said, having Ed by his side definitely doesn’t help matters. Though Ed can be extremely entertaining in his own right, his lazy, reluctant attitude brings out the worst qualities in Shaun. Yet, despite the massive flaws in both their personalities, that there’s something that’s very sincere and hilarious about their friendship that you cannot help but want to see them succeed, even when Liz and her best friends Diane (Davis) and David (Moran) are less than supportive of Shaun’s efforts.

Edgar Wright and Pegg’s screenplay is consistently hilarious. From the very first shots of people on their commute, who already look like they are members of the undead, to the very first scuffle with a pair of zombies, to the moment where the Zombie Apocalypse has fully taken over the city. Much like a Zombie apocalypse, the comedy never lets up. Wright fuses the excellent comedy of the script and at the same time, turns on the style with the action. From a fight in a back garden to the climatic final showdown in a pub of all places, the comedy compliments the action, and vice versa.

Even in the midst of all the uproarious and absurd action scenes, there are quite a few moments of intense drama and emotion. In addition, of course it wouldn’t be a Zombie film, without its fair share of blood and guts, with a fair number of London’s citizens meeting some rather grim fates. However, having cut his teeth on A Fistful of Fingers and the Channel 4 TV show Spaced, it was just the start of an upward trajectory for Wright as a director, and likewise for Pegg and Frost as actors. Each of their careers, and indeed the Cornetto trilogy, would later go from strength to strength, whilst presumably giving sales of Cornettos an enormous boost at the same time.