LogFAQs > #968388729

Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Written by: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran
Previous status: Never seen

"What do you mean by that?"

In retrospect, it was probably a mistake to not watch Dawn first, because any references were lost on me. In fact, there was a lot of disjointed storytelling early on - mostly about things that didn't matter, mind you. There was a lot left on the table that never got eaten here. Also worth noting: When I hit "Play movie" on the DVD menu, it operated like a first-person shooter. Loved that.

A big problem I noted also was how fucking braindead the characters were - and no, I'm not talking about the zombies. I couldn't tell you who had more brains between the zombies and Shaun's crew, given how many downright stupid things they did. They took forever to realize that something very, very weird was going on. They had no urgency. They failed to improvise weapons on countless occasions (like... fence posts? HELLO!). They fought pointlessly after talking about cooperation. Ed crashed the car for no reason whatsoever other than wanting to drive the Jag. Like... to call him an idiot would be a compliment.

I am curious if all this was done for intentional comedy, because it certainly didn't feel funny, just frustrating. It would've been funny if he'd done some idiot things that somehow caused a miracle to occur - or if the movie did more things like the records scene, which was the only time it actually felt like it was mocking other movies for their characters' lack of urgency. I would've thought there'd be more. But no, they just... did stupid shit that would've ordinarily gotten them killed, and survived because they were supposed to, at least until the end. I did not find this humorous. If you're going to parody a genre where people survive only because the writers want them to, take it a step further than that instead of just doing the same thing. Mock it with ridiculous divine intervention.

I also had thought this was a comedy, but I found it hardly funny for the breadth of it. Funny moments include the following:

• All the throwing of junk comically bouncing off the zombies, and then them taking the time to decide what records were expendable. This was the kind of satire I expected throughout the rest of the movie: Doing stupid stuff, yet miraculously surviving. Nothing after this accomplished the same.
• The rehearsing of multiple versions of "The Plan" to "get everyone to safety"
• The party acting like zombies amid a horde of them to avoid garnering attention... some of them doing better than others.
• Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" playing during a fight (shades of Reservoir Dogs)
• The final scene

That's about it. Perhaps I missed numerous references due to my lack of experience with horror in general - largely because I don't like excess blood and gore. I can handle people bleeding reasonably, but not things like David being ripped apart. I couldn't watch. Honestly, everything in the climax after the jukebox fight felt too normal. The Shaun/Liz relationship also felt too normal. Dianne didn't get enough credit for being the smartest person there, at least until her emotional reaction to seeing her husband get ripped apart.

Things I liked included Philip saying he loved Shaun like his own son in his final moments (Bill Nighy just nailed this) and that the commandos just showed up and killed all the zombies. My favorite thing, however, was the commentary about the zombies being retail wage slaves in the end - this tied it all back together to the beginning. It's asking a question: Are we already zombies? Are we soulless wage slaves who have no brains and are just cogs? It's a highly agreeable commentary from me, and I like how it was tied in without being so overt that it was obnoxious. I can also see how this compares to COVID, given how... I worked Fulfillment at Target during the worst of it.

But, honestly? Of the movies I've seen so far, I probably enjoyed this one the least. Perhaps it's because I missed things. Perhaps it's because I couldn't appreciate the references. Perhaps it's because I expected something more satirical than this. Perhaps it's because it's not my genre. I still liked it for what it was but I can't say I'll be revisiting it any time soon (even with this being a "Halloween season kickoff movie"). I'll still give it a 3/5, because it gave me some laughs, even if it didn't quite live up to my expectations. That feels high in some aspects but just right in others.

Sorry if my write-up doesn't live up to your expectations, guys! @Snake5555555555 and @MetalmindStats , you both get new nominations!