Shaun of the Dead

A parody that didn't work out. It doesn't offend, discourage, but it doesn't make you laugh either. Just a couple of jokes, a few references, and the rest of the running time is just tired and worn out, and after a while it plagiarizes rather than mocks zombie films. And such a problematic genre offers us hundreds of targets for jokes. (26.01.2006)

The British sent the undead to the London suburbs and countered them with dry English humor mixed with the darkest elements. A simple plot, where the emphasis is placed more on the characters, "twists" into an exemplary zombie slaughter in the second half. The methods for their extermination are prepared and effective, so much so that you'll soon lose count of bloody splatters, shot heads, or pierced bodies. It's almost unbelievable that throughout the entire ninety minutes, the film managed to maintain the right comedic perspective. Even when the joke quality occasionally dips into awkwardness, there are always plenty of brighter moments that genuinely bring out the laughter. Perhaps only the final resolution of the situation is a bit too much "for effect," but even that cannot take away from the overall comfort and stylishness that reigns over the film. When collars and chains appeared at the very end, it all fell into place for me. (01.10.2005)

A zombie comedy with British English and pleasantly corrupt morals – the two main protagonists are easy-going slackers and they’re cool. The actors, including Kate Ashfield, are well cast and the film’s brisk beginning is very promising, but the screenplay gradually runs out of ideas and merely flounders helplessly, ripping off what it can (I repeat ripping off, not parodying – there is a difference). This film actually doesn’t even have a plot. Rather, it attempts to be just a funny situational comedy, in which the important thing isn’t WHAT happens, but HOW it happens in a space of a few square meters. With the exception of the aforementioned beginning, I was bored most of the time and surprised by the screenwriter’s limited imagination. (24.10.2004)

An unfunny, unimaginative and somewhat schizophrenic mix of comedy, parody and sometimes unexpectedly serious drama (the scene with the killing of the mother). The screenwriter didn't eat much funny porridge, so most of the scenes that look humorous or are "set up" for a funny punchline fizzle out. After that, even the superbly typecast actors and the fine looking zombies can't save the final impression. What I did like was the great ending and the creators' reference to the godfather of gore, Lucio Fulci, naming a pub after him. (03.10.2005)

A romantic comedy... With zombies! Despite getting slower and less funny from half way through, before that it is so full of great scenes and snappy lines that you just can’t help enjoying yourself. The gang that created the Britcom Spaced doesn’t let themselves down even in this feature-length movie. Overall, any weaker moments during the movie are made up for by the final study into what happens to the average Joe zombie once the troubles are over... The poor dear. (22.11.2004)