Co-written by director Edgar Wright and star Simon Pegg, who plays title character Shaun, this witty film almost defies categorization and is a post-modern comedy with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor for fans of the zombie genre, while not leaving out those on the outside.The same team produced cop action/comedy Hot Fuzz in 2007, to great critical acclaim. With no background in zombie movies, I’m sure I missed a lot of the inside humor and references myself, but I still found the comedy fantastic; almost too quick to catch at times. All of those things noted, the film stays as true to its label as a zombie movie as it does its claim to be a romantic comedy.
Shaun’s relationship is going awry because he he’s passive and, well, kind of a slacker. He has no plans to get more serious with his girlfriend or set boundaries between her and his friends, and she’s had enough. Over the course of the spread of a zombie virus and his unlikely hero role in leading his friends on a killing mission against the undead, he predictably realizes what’s really important, but not without a bunch of laughs along the way.
This unconventional romantic comedy is “chock-a-block” full of witty writing and editing, and feels impressively tight from start to finish.
The cast is an absolute who’s who of English comedy, with roles by stars of shows and movies well-known to Americans such as the BBC version of The Office (the original version!) and Love Actually. Bill Nighy’s supporting role as Shaun’s stepfather is perfect.
Special Features on this disc are incredibly plentiful, including 4 full-length commentary tracks with various members of the cast and crew. The one with Wright and Pegg holds the most hilarity. Lots of mini-documentaries and clips produced for background in the movie are also included in their entirety. If you’re a fan of the film or filmmakers, there’s enough here to keep you busy for a looong time!
