Shaun of the Dead

Directed by: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost
Grade: B-
Final word: Zom rom com (zombie romantic comedy) satisfies or unsettles

A romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a global zombie invasion? That’s the concept behind Focus Features’ newest entry into theaters this weekend. “Shaun of the Dead” certainly isn’t for anyone, but fans of zombie movies and black comedies should be more than satisfied with what “Shaun of the Dead” serves up.

Though billed as a parody, “Shaun of the Dead” is more a throwback to the pre-MTV generation zombie movies. It does away with the hyper-charged, fast-as-a-car zombies of the more recent zombie pics, opting instead for a slower, more catatonic living dead. The decision creates humorous scenes like those in the original “Dawn of The Dead,” where a group of survivors easily manhandles a pathetic enemy. Depending on how dark you like your humor, the way in which Shaun and his friends manhandle their dead brethren may be hilarious or offensive. There are several scenes where Shaun violently beats zombies with blunt objects, including two particularly drawn out scenes where Shuan and his friends wail on an elderly man and a little girl. This is more than an innocent parody-there is a definite disdain towards people, both living and dead, that runs underneath this film. Many of the jokes and humor are often cruel, and almost always come at some character’s expense. It’s not a consistent theme, but happens enough to be bothersome to viewers turned off by humor with little respect for human life and emotion.

Its occasionally tasteless jokes aside, most of “Shaun of the Dead”‘s success hinges on the clever way it combines the romantic comedy with the zombie movie. As the cheesy romantic comedy drama builds, so too does the chaotic zombie backdrop. Shaun, the typical good but flawed boyfriend, is so caught up in his break-up that he doesn’t notice the zombie epidemic around him. In a technique popularized by “Family Guy,” the directors make the otherwise boring romantic comedy dialogue interesting by putting a more interesting visual in the background. While Shaun and his girlfriend fight outside a bar, we see a man and woman necking behind them, or so we think, until the man’s head falls off.

“Shaun of The Dead” accomplishes in the zombie genre what “Scream” achieved with horror. The film’s awareness of the zombie movie conventions allows it to have a great deal of fun playing with them. Though there is a “plot” here, the movie is driven primarily by its loosely tied together zombie jokes. The success of individual scenes relies not on what’s come before, but on how successful each joke is from moment to moment. An enjoyable, albeit inconsistent experience, “Shaun of the Dead” should please those who think a zombie romantic comedy is the best concept they’ve heard all year, while the friends who got dragged along shift uncomfortably in their seats, wondering what’s so funny.

Popularity: unranked [?]

 Print This Post

This entry was posted on Friday, September 24th, 2004 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.