In the world of cinema, it's often the films with simple ideas and "cool" slogans that end up as disappointments. However, Shaun of the Dead, a 2004 British film directed by Edgar Wright, is a delightful exception to this rule. With its catchy "zom rom com" tagline, the film promised a unique blend of zombie horror and romantic comedy, and it delivered on that promise in a way that would go on to redefine the genre.
Protagonist, played by Simon Pegg, is Shaun, 29-year old electronic salesman from North London who is disrespected at work and whose already unhappy life gets shattered after girlfriend Liz (played by Kate Ashfield) leaves him. Shaun decides to drown his sorrows in the pub with his best friend Ed (played by Nick Frost). Next morning, while suffering a terrible hangover, he discovers that his personal problems got dwarfed by something much more serious – entire London apparently being affected by strange epidemic that turns its victims into aggressive flesh-eating zombies. Shaun with Nick’s help tries to lead group of survivors, that includes Liz, his mother Barbara (played by Penelope Wilton) and his stepfather Philip (played by Bill Nighy) to safety.
Shaun of the Dead was based on the script co-written by Wright and Pegg. Two of them had met years earlier while working on the satirical comedy TV series Spaced. One episode, "Art," featured Pegg's character hallucinating a zombie apocalypse while high on amphetamines and playing Resident Evil. This episode served as the inspiration for Wright and Pegg, which developed the script over the years.
While the idea of a zombie apocalypse had been explored decades earlier in George Romero's 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead and used in many similar films ever since, Shaun of the Dead was the first major production to give it a comedic makeover, specifically with a British twist. The secret to the film's success lies in its perfect balance between violence, gore, and melodrama on one hand, and comedy on the other. Wright and Pegg's script not only parodies zombie horror and disaster films but also British romantic comedies that were popular at the turn of the millennium. The parody is subtle and can be viewed as a heartfelt homage to various genre classics.
The film's use of ordinary people as protagonists is another clever aspect. Shaun, played by Pegg, is a slacker who, thanks to his love of drinking and video games, is one of the last people to notice that something is wrong with the world. Wright's commentary on the zombie apocalypse as a gradual process is interesting, as he depicts ordinary people becoming zombies-like due to their monotonous jobs and daily routines.
The casting in Shaun of the Dead is excellent, with Pegg delivering a standout performance as the slacker-turned-hero. He is ably supported by veterans like Penelope Wilton and Bill Nighy, who play his mother and stepfather, respectively. However, the real treasure is Pegg's real-life friend Nick Frost, who plays Shaun's slacker friend Ed. Frost establishes a fantastic on-screen dynamic with Pegg and succeeds despite having no previous feature film experience.
While Shaun of the Dead has some issues near the ending, which comes too conveniently with a not particularly convincing deus ex machina, the epilogue provides an ultra-ironic twist that improves the overall impression. The film's success was not limited to the United Kingdom, as it gained a global following and cemented the careers of Wright and Pegg in Hollywood. The trio of Wright, Pegg, and Frost was reunited in 2007 for the action parody Hot Fuzz, and again in 2013 for the science fiction parody The World's End, creating what is now known as the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e
BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7 BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9