Review: Shaun of the Dead

I had intended to do this as part of Super Sundays in December, but it's just too good to resist. My previous Blood and Ice Cream review, Hot Fuzz, explains how their films tend to be genre-busting but still well written as well. While SotD may not be as fully laughter-centric as its spiritual sequel, it's just as strong if not more.
     Spoilers follow. Shaun (Pegg) has a problematic life; his job is annoying and repetitive, his flatmate Ed (Frost) is a lazy slob and he is having relationship trouble with his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashworth), her friends Dave and Diane, and with his mother (Penelope Wilton) and step-dad Philip (Bill Nighy). One day, after being dumped, he decides to get his life back together. There's one problem - he decides to do this on the cusp of the Zombie Apocalypse.
     What follows is predictably a cauldron of comedy, horror and tragedy, well done everywhere with subtle but stark transitions between them. It helps that the two genres (Comedy and Horror) so naturally compliment each other - one can easily flash between hilarious, over-the-top Zombie ("Don't say the Z word") whacking to David unsuspectingly being ripped into pieces. The film's reliance on running gags and Brick Jokes, as in Hot Fuzz, also help because of their different contextual meanings (e.g. Shaun's old friend Yvonne converse at the beginning and end of the film, with it going something along the lines of, "How are you?" "Surviving".) This depth means that it has plentiful rewatch value, and can still be enjoyed on first viewing.
     In summation, Shaun of the Dead is a well-written blend of Comedy and Horror with a brilliant script, cast and overall tone. Its depth means that it can be enjoyed many times and continually reinterpreted without making it any less funny or scary. As an homage to Romero zombie films it stands out as an excellent and logical extension to the concept. I look forward to the third and final installation in the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy in 2011.

Thanks.