This is the first movie in Edgar Wright's "Blood and Ice Cream" trilogy (even though the movies aren't related), which also encompasses Hot Fuzz and the yet-unreleased Ant-Man. I'm pleased to say I finally got to rewatch this last night, it being on my list of "definitely have to review". I've changed my opinion a bit from the first and second viewings, and not in a good way, I'm afraid.
Premise
Shaun's life couldn't get any worse: his job sucks, his flatmates Ed and Pete are giving him a hard time and his girlfriend Liz breaks up with him because she thinks he ignores her feelings. Moreover, he's suddenly faced with a zombie invasion! Now, together with his family and friends, he struggles to get to the safest place he can think of, the pub "The Winchester", and survive the apocalypse.
Nope, can't get any worse than this.
The Good
At the first level, we have the humor: since this is a black comedy, you will mostly find irony and sarcastic remarks thrown from one character to another. The effects of the so-called "Z Day" are presented in an absurd fashion, all the while poking fun at the numerous clichés of the genre - for example, people banding together, their view of the situation and the unwritten rules of the zombie genre: "removing the head or destroying the brain" (quote from the movie).
However, towards the ending, we get the feeling we're watching a genuine horror movie. This is when it stops being a simple spoof and turns into something superior. The comedic elements die down (pun not intended, honestly) and good old-fashioned horror reigns supreme. It's funny, but this movie turned out scarier and more suspenseful than movies that are advertised as horrors!
Oh wait, it CAN get worse.
Something I was pleasantly surprised by was the make-up. It's definitely well-done and very believable, unlike movies in whose universes zombies have cherry juice for blood. This movie doesn't shy away from showing gore, and it shows lots of it: zombies with bits of their faces missing, people being killed and eaten alive and so on. However, the movie chooses to focus mostly on a restricted number of people, so the gore is inflicted mainly on them and not the masses. To further explain, we are only given generic information about what is going on with the rest of the world and instead follow the main characters around.
Lastly, the soundtrack didn't really catch my eye, so to speak. I didn't find it outstanding or terrible, it was just...there, didn't hinder anything really but didn't have enough to stand out either.
It can't be THAT bad...can it?
The Bad
Having seen Hot Fuzz after this and rewatched Shaun.., I'd say there are quite a few differences between the two. Firstly, the pacing of Shaun.. is a bit choppy and uneven and shows that the director didn't pull out the big guns, even though he certainly brought something fresh to the table.
Secondly, I wouldn't say this movie has a high rewatchability value; unlike Hot Fuzz, you will most probably catch all the twists and details on the first viewing and the later ones will be solely for light entertainment. There aren't many things happening simultaneously so you don't need to pay special attention.
The Plain WTF (very mild spoilers about the second ending)
I dubbed it "the second" because it takes place six months after the survivors exit the pub. It shows how the world has coped with "Z Day" and it's quite a funny and fresh approach, albeit an unusual one: the living have integrated the living dead into their daily lives (with no major difference from what was before).
Yup, it definitely can.
The Quotes
David: I'm not staying here.
Liz: David, don't, that's suicide.
Ed: I think you should go.
[Shaun has just fought a zombie unassisted]
Shaun: [sarcastically] Feel free to step in any time!
Ed: You did all right.
David: I didn't want to cramp your style.
Best way to spend the apocalypse: chilling in your local pub.
Verdict and recommendations
Definitely recommended for horror fans who are open minded enough to enjoy a well-made satire of the genre! There is also quite a lot of profanity here but it's all made up of the F-bomb, so to say, so it's pretty safe considering most are used to hearing it in movies nowadays. Again, it's not very rewatchable, but it's worth a shot, if only for the British humor and the spoof material.
Oh, and if you want to know how I initially rated it: I gave it a 10. Yeah, not too appropriate, is it?
And I noticed this is my second review of a Simon Pegg movie. Hurray!
Originality + creativity: 1 point
Actors: 2 points
Soundtrack: 1 point
Special effects/Natural flow: 1 point
How much I enjoyed it: 2 points
My rating: 
(7 out of 10)
Shaun of the Dead (2004) on IMDb.com
Edit: vote recently changed to 8/10, after another viewing. Damn, this movie's good.
