Shaun of the Dead 2004

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Its secret is the same one that keeps us interested in the better examples of the movies it pillories: The writers, director and actors make us care about Shaun and his friends. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Members of the cast, most of whom hail from British TV sitcoms, have crackerjack comedic timing, and their characters have been written so well you'd watch them with or without zombies. Read more

Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune: Playing the stereotypical twentysomething everyman, Pegg has a disarming fragility that evokes a bit of empathy from anyone ever stuck in a rut. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Zombies or no zombies, this is the funniest film of the year. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Screamingly funny. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: A wonderfully funny spoof of zombie movies ... and of the kind of life that can turn a man into the walking dead. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: A drop-dead-funny comedy. Read more

Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle: Transforms the unintentional camp of the zombie subgenre into full-on, hilarious comedy. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: ...the second half of the film is just a standard horror movie showdown with a few mildly amusing gags. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The movie bogs down and the humor seems to dry up, though the blood continues to well, spurt and spew. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: Mixing horror and humor is no mean feat, but Shaun Of The Dead tightens throats in fear without making the laughs stick there in the process. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: Zombie movies have been spoofed before, but this one lurches to the top of the list on the strength of its twisted British wit and oh-so-clever mix of laughs and horror. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: A British zombie flick that works not because of the crowds of undead, but because the guy trying to exterminate them was himself running out of reasons to live. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: George Romero's zombie trilogy has generated an endless parade of remakes and rip-offs, but this clever British spoof comes closer than many to the bitter satire that makes his movies so distinctive. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Cheeky and unexpectedly charming. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The filmmakers, clearly fans of the genre, have got the zom and the com parts down cold. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: This movie is destined for cult greatness. See it now and you can say -- honestly, for once -- that you were there in the beginning. Read more

Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: It's a grisly but sweet ode to friendship, love and the George Romero zombie trilogy. Read more

Ernest Hardy, L.A. Weekly: The biggest surprise (and asset) here is Pegg, who imbues the slightly daft Shaun with a good nature and bigger heart, providing the film with a central figure you actually care about. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: There is gore aplenty for those who like to look at it, and a bounty of winking jokes for those who would prefer to laugh at it. Read more

Devin Gordon, Newsweek: The zombie-movie genre already has some wink-wink funny entries, but this U.K. smash hit, written by Pegg and Wright, takes the prize. It's a bloody hoot. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: A smart, cultish, semi-disgusting homage to the fine British art of not bothering. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: It's a dead man's party driven by inspired sight gags, witty repartee and likable, dare we say, cuddly characters. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: The movie's great joke never wears out its welcome: Many of the living are virtually indistinguishable from the undead. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: By treating the genre as a joke, this satire, whose title plays off George A. Romero's 1979 golden oldie, Dawn of the Dead, yields ironic dramatic dividends. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: For those who don't mind a little laughter with their zombies (or perhaps it should be the other way around), this is an unusual source of entertainment. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Has its pleasures, which are mild but real. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Though I prefer the hard-core zombie scares of Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, Pegg and Wright -- who are rumored to resemble a real-life Shaun and Ed -- keep the blood and the laughs gushing. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: I love George Romero's zombie pictures, and I love deadpan English humor, but I had no idea that the two would mesh as happily as they (mostly) do in Shaun of the Dead. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Makes the best use of zombies since Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video. Read more

Leah McLaren, Globe and Mail: It's intelligent, funny and utterly disgusting all at once. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Plays brilliantly with our familiarity with zombie genre (yes, I actually said that) convention. Read more

Nick Bradshaw, Time Out: The cast make a cosy fit, the patter is still sitcom snappy, but Wright also has the visual snap to carry this saga of backyard apocalypse. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: The pasty, scruffy Pegg shows a surprising amount of range for the unlikely hero of a zombie flick. Read more

Derek Elley, Variety: Co-scripters Pegg and Wright structure it as a classic three-acter (set-up, journey, finale) with enough twists, character development and small set pieces to keep the comedy boiling. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Taken on its own shaky legs it's a wittier genre coda than Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Wonderfully original, fast-moving and funny. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: If the zombie genre steadfastly refuses to die, we can be grateful to Shaun of the Dead for breathing fresh, diverting life into the form, with subtle visual humor and a smart, impish sense of fun. Read more