Shaun of the Dead

'Shaun of the Dead' is a movie that really does a good job of commenting on our society as a whole, as many zombie movies do. The main recurring point brought up is how so many of us go through life simply living a 'mere life'. From the very beginning you see what is teased to be a zombie is actually just Shaun waking up in the morning. When the zombie outbreak comes to pass, Shaun and his idiotic friend Ed don't even notice anything different at first. While the way this is done is for comedic effect, it definitely is a comment on how we all walk around like zombies.

What really makes 'Shaun' such a great movie though, is how well it balances the hilarity with the drama. Shaun is in a huge personal crisis; his girlfriend, Liz, dumped him, he doesn't have any sort of career, his best friend is a free-loading imbecile, and his other roommate is the total opposite in that he is now very successful, though a total jerk. But then the zombies come, and though they kill the majority of the group Shaun and Liz are with at the end of the movie, including Shaun's mother, it is the zombies themselves that bring so much humor to the movies. From the dark humor of running someone over and not sure if it's a zombie or not, to pretending to be zombies to get to the pub, (which is among the most idiotic plans they could have come up with, I mean seriously, how can anyone think they are safe in a pub with no exits?!) to beating up a zombie to the tune of Queen, there are so many clever little moments of comedic gold.

Which makes the final stand all the more sad, as one by one, the survivors are picked off by the zombies, beginning with the heartbreaking moment with Shaun's mother. She is bitten and knows she will eventually die, as does everyone else. Shaun obviously has difficulty coming to grips with it and eventually has to shoot his zombiefied mother in the head. Tell me with a straight face that isn't straight out of your worst nightmare.

But in the end of it all, Shaun and Liz are back together, and not a huge much has changed in their lives, with the exception of how great their relationship is. It took a zombie massacre for them to realize it, but they finally figure out what's important in life.