Top Eight Comedy Zombie Protagonists

I have always enjoyed snuggling up and watching a Zombie Comedy film and I decided to compile a list and rate eight Comedy Zombie film protagonists out of six for Creative Killing, Bravery, Strategy Plans, Catchphrase and Killing Outfit.

Warning, spoilers ahead!

The Dead Don't Die directed by Jim Jaramusch.

Pinterest- The Dead Don't Die

An amusing dead(hah)pan comedy with a strong cast covers the story of a small town police force attempting to battle a Zombie invasion and does so in a way that feels plausible in the modern world.

Chosen Protagonist: Zelda Winston the Scottish undertaker played by Tilda Swinton.

• Strategy Plan: Zelda, armed nicely with a Samurai sword goes to help the police and ends up in charge of the station: 3 out of 6

• Creative KiIling: Uses a Samurai sword, quick and efficient 3/6

• Bravery: Goes to help the police force knowing they will need her and has to battle many zombies: 4/6

• Catchphrase: 'Oh good grief. So the dead don't want to die today, is that it?', I enjoy how calm Zelda is at this moment and this quote to me sums up her capability as a character. 4/6.

• Killing Outfit: Zelda wears a traditional Karategi which works well as a killing outfit and enables her to move quickly when fighting zombies. 4/6

Final Score: 3.5 out of 6.

Evil Dead 2 directed by Sam Raimi

Pinterest- Evil Dead 2

A classic film and one of my favourites! The sequel to Evil Dead covers the story of a couple who go to an abandoned remote cabin (do they ever learn) for a weekend away and accidentally awaken an evil force which ends up killing and then reanimating its victims.

Chosen Protagonist: Ash Williams, played by Bruce Campbell.

• Strategy Plan: Ash and Annie (daughter of the archaeologist who discovered 'The Book of the Dead') work together to try read the incantation from the book in hopes of destroying the force, it doesn't go quite to plan. 4/6

• Creative KiIling: Ash killing zombies with a chainsaw attached to his wrist stump and a sawn off shot gun in the other. 5/6

• Bravery: Ash attempts to run away and would not have been in that situation where he needed to if he hadn't gone to an abandoned cabin but ultimately he does try to save the day 2.5 out of 6.

• Catchphrase: It has to be 'Groovy', at this point in the film Ash has modified a chainsaw and attached it to his wrist stump, and to me this catchphrase encapsulates the ridiculousness of the situation and humour of the film 6/6

• Killing Outfit: Ash is wearing a work shirt and brown trousers which end up quite tattered by the end but they are fairly practical 4/6

Final Score: 4.3 out of 6.

Black Sheep directed by Jonathan King

Another one of my favourites! This film is about a New Zealand farm which becomes overtaken by mutant bloodthirsty sheep after an experiment in genetic engineering goes wrong.

Contains Moderate Peril- Black Sheep

Chosen Protagonist: Experience, a hippy activist played by Danielle Mason.

• Strategy Plan: After accidentally releasing the mutant lamb, Experience ends up teaming up with the other characters to try save other people and uses an antidote to convert the Zombie/Were- Sheep back. 4/6

• Creative KiIling: Experience helps contain the infected sheep and the sheep are then destroyed in a giant bonfire caused by sheep flatulence. Certainly not a method you see often in Zombie films 6/6

• Bravery: Experience and Grant (her fellow Activist) did accidentally release a mutant lamb which infects Grant and countless sheep. However, the experiments should not have been taking place anyway and Experience does help turn the Were/Zombie-Sheep back into normal people and help kill the other mutant sheep. 3/6

• Catchphrase: Experience in response to Henry (co-owner of the sheep farm with a phobia of sheep) asking why she needs to rebalance her hormones responds with 'Considering I've been attacked by genetically-engineered monsters, jumped off a moving vehicle, been chased across a paddock, dragged into a torture chamber, pulled into a mountain of rotting flesh - yes, my hormones need f****** balancing' which never fails to amuse, especially as she has just pulled a Geranium candle out of her bag and it begs the question, what else is in her bag? 4/6

• Killing Outfit: Fairly practical long sleeved stripy shirt with brown cargo trousers and a bag, the bag could get in the way though ultimately it does come in handy. 3/6

Final Score: 4 out of 6.

Zombieland directed by Ruben Fleischer

Pinterest- Zombie Land

A strong Zombie comedy film with a good cast! This film is about a group of mismatched survivors who come together to try and travel across America to try find a safe haven.

Chosen Protagonist: Tallahassee a Zombie hating survivor played by Woody Harrelson.

• Strategy Plan: Mostly Tallahassee spends his time searching for twinkies and aggressively killing zombies but does later help save his fellow survivors 3/6

• Creative KiIling: Tallahassee has a fine range of weapons and is good at killing zombies but not necessarily creative with it, but one of his most amusing kills is opening the car door while driving and whacking a zombie in the head with it. 4/6

• Bravery: Tallahassee causes a big distraction by locking himself into a game booth and shooting zombies thus giving the other survivors more time 5/6

• Catchphrase: There are many to choose from but I think 'Have you ever read that book "She's Just Not That Into You"?' wins for me. It has sarcasm, some dad humour and a tiny hint of affection. 4/6

• Killing Outfit: Tallahassee has a decent zombie fighting outfit, the leather jacket especially will be long wearing and the jeans should last a while. The cowboy hat is also a nice touch 5/6

Final Score: 4.2 out of 6.

BrainDead (also known as Dead Alive) directed by Peter Jackson

Horror Fan Wiki- BrainDead

The goriest film I have ever watched and also one of the funniest, if you like gore this is a film for you! This film is banned in Germany and various countries will only show a heavily cut version. I have seen the film multiple times and it never fails to amuse and horrify me. This film follows a young chap whose strict mother is bitten by a hybrid rat/monkey creature and starts to turn into a zombie and starts to kill neighbours and friends, this makes his new relationship rather difficult.

Chosen Protagonist: Paquita María Sánchez, a kind Grocery store clerk and girlfriend of the main character played by Diana Peñalver.

• Strategy Plan: Paquita turns up to see Lionel with no knowledge of the zombies and after accidentally convincing Lionel to inject the zombies with animal stimulants instead of poison, Paquita helps Lionel destroy the zombies. 4/6

• Creative KiIling: Paquita uses a blender to destroy parts of zombies to stop them attatcking Lionel because in this film severed body parts will attack. 6/6

• Bravery: Paquita comes back to Lionel and finds his house overrun by zombies and helps him to destroy the zombies despite the fact they are no longer an item. 5/6

• Catchphrase: This horrified exchange between Paquita and Lionel is one of my favourites: 'Your mother ate my dog! Lionel: Not all of it.' but I could not write about Brain Dead without mentioning this incredible quote by Father McGruder:'I kick ass for the lord' proclaimed just before he performs karate on some zombies. For that reason I will say 6/6.

• Killing Outfit: Paquita wears a beautiful yellow dress patterned with flowers and a long sleeved red cardigan, very stylish and although not practical, the thick cardigan does provide some protection. 5/6

Final Score: 5.2 out of 6.

Shaun of the Dead directed by Edgar Wright

Script Slug- Shaun of the Dead

A classic British zombie comedy with some very amusing moments. This film follows a man stuck in an awful job who wakes up and realises he is in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Chosen Protagonist: Shaun, a bored electronic salesman who is trying to get his ex girlfriend back played by Simon Pegg.

• Strategy Plan: Shaun and Ed (his best friend) set off to rescue various friends and loved ones and then hide in their favourite pub 'The Winchester', not the worst plan. 4/6

• Creative KiIling: This is obviously the scene in which Shaun and Ed are cornered in their garden and use vinyl records as weapons but bicker briefly over which records they want to use 6/6

• Bravery: Shaun does leave the safety of his house to go rescue his loved ones and later does lead a group of zombies away from the pub door so his companions can get in 5/6

• Catchphrase: There are a few amusing quotes, this one always amuses me 'Come and get it! It's a running buffet!' shouted by Shaun as he distracts the zombies 3/6

• Killing Outfit: Shaun is still in his work uniform; a white shirt, tie and black trousers as he left the house not realising there was a zombie apocalypse. The short sleeves are not very practical but the white shirt does provide an amusing gag. 3/6

Final Score: 4.2 out of 6.

Cockney's Vs Zombies directed by Matthias Hoene.

Contains Moderate Peril- Cockneys Vs Zombies

Another one of my favourite silly horror comedies with strong gore levels and dark humour! The film follows two brothers who rob a bank in order to raise money to stop their Grandfather's nursing home being demolished. Unfortunately the zombie apocalypse makes things rather difficult and the brothers set out to rescue the retirement home residents. If you have ever wondered if an elderly man using a zimmer frame can outrun a slow moving zombie then this film is the one for you! (one of my favourite scenes in the whole film).

Chosen Protagonist: Ray, the cantankerous Grandfather of the wannabe bank robbers played by the wonderful Alan Ford.

• Strategy Plan: Ray and his fellow residents barricade their home, arm themselves with whatever weapons they can find and barricade themselves in the kitchen. Definitely not the worst plan, they have decent access to food and water. 5/6

• Creative KiIling: Before the arrival of his grandsons Ray has has to make do with whatever he can find but eventually end up with a range of guns and weaponry and manage to attach guns onto a zimmer frame. 4/6

• Bravery: Alan throws himself into a group of zombies armed with only two weapons so his grandsons and fellow residents can escape. 5/6

• Catchphrase: Being a film filled with Cockney slang, there are all manner of funny statements but this one never fails to make me cackle 'No, you soppy tart, those things are f****** zombies!' It is simple and effective and shows that Ray is certainly not someone the zombies should mess with. 4/6

• Killing Outfit: Alan is sharply dressed in a smart charcoal suit, it is fairly sensible as his arms and legs are covered and there is no rule book that says you cannot make an effort. 5/6

Final Score: 4.6 out of 6.

Little Monsters directed by Abe Forsythe.

Cede-Little Monsters

I watched this film recently for the first time and thought it was brilliant and definitely worth a mention in this post! This film follows a schoolteacher, a washed up musician and an obnoxious childrens show host as they try protect the children holed up in a gift shop during a zombie outbreak.

Chosen Protagonist: Miss Caroline, a lovely children's schoolteacher played by the incredible Lupita Nyong'o.

• Strategy Plan: Miss Caroline manages to get the children safely through the infected farm attraction and then into the farm shop with the help of the musician 5/6

• Creative KiIling: Miss Caroline pins a zombie to a tree using a pitchfork and later uses the same zombie as a weapon. 5/6

• Bravery: When one of the children has an allergic reaction and the musician fails to inject the medicine properly, Miss Caroline escapes out of the gift shop and makes her way back to the tractor in which the children's rucksacks have been left to find the spare medication, on the way she battles many zombies. 6/6

• Catchphrase: Miss Caroline is incredible and the winning line in my eyes is in response to the children's show host behaving appallingly and upsetting the children, 'If you don't turn that frown upside down, so help me God, I am going to drag you out by that stupid bow tie and watch them rip you apart'. 6/6

• Killing Outfit: Miss Caroline looks wholesome in a yellow summer dress which soon becomes bloodstained. Not the most practical but when Miss Caroline is fighting, it doesn't get in the way and looks quite epic. 5/6

Final Score: 5.4 out of 6.

The Winner

So according to my ratings the winner for best protagonist is Miss Caroline from Little Monsters, she is brave, stylish and defends the children and even convinces them the zombie invasion is a game.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together, it gave me a chance to revisit some of my favourite films again!

Katherine