Zombieland
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Rated: R for horror violence/gore and language.
“Zombieland” is a rip-roaring good time of a movie, provided that you’re a fan of zombie movies. It feels a lot as though its writing process involved a handful of zombie flick fans sitting around a table and saying things like, “you know what would be awesome? A bunch of zombies in an amusement park! And a bunch of them get plastered – thwack! – by one of those big, swinging rides!” It’s not a perfect film, but it is a highly entertaining one.
The storyline is simple: the zombie apocalypse has come, and our protagonist (Jesse Eisenberg), a neurotic college student, is trying to make his way to Columbus, Ohio, to see if his family is still alive. He meets a proficient zombie-killer (Woody Harrelson), who’s headed to Tallahassee, and the form an uneasy partnership. When they get carjacked by a pair of young sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin), they change course to go after the gals on a quest for revenge, zombie-killing, and a Twinkie.
Woody Harrelson was born to play Tallahassee, a somewhat crazed redneck with astonishing zombie-killing abilities. Harrelson’s comic timing is perfect for the part, and he throws himself into it with so much gusto that it’s all but impossible not to get caught up in the performance. Eisenberg has the disadvantage of being a dead ringer for Michael Cera (to the point that a number of people I’ve spoken to have been certain Cera was the star in this film), which can be a trifle distracting. However, he’s excellent as the neurotic, surprisingly effective Columbus. He makes it believable that a nerdy, shut-in college student could survive the zombie apocalypse, which is a refreshing change from a lot of zombie movies. The sisters, who are dubbed Witchita and Little Rock by Tallahassee (who doesn’t like sharing real names with people), are likewise effective. They were con artists before the apocalypse and although their methodology has changed since the zombies showed up, their effectiveness hasn’t.
The zombies are essentially halfway between the classic, shambling undead and the sprinting terrors of more recent zombie flicks like “28 Days Later.” If, like Columbus, your first rule of survival is “cardio” you’ll probably be able to outrun them, but if not, you’re down for the count. They have a rudimentary intelligence, but can’t really scheme beyond spotting food and heading for it with single-minded intensity.
“Zombieland” does drag a wee bit in a couple of places, but within a minute or so of me muttering that it was time for some more zombie-killing, action was provided every time. There’s a great deal of humor in the film, both in the way the humans interact and in the multitude of ridiculous ways they find to kill the zombies that get in their way. This is a rollicking good time of a movie, provided you enjoy zombie flicks. If you have a weak stomach, stay away. There’s dark humor aplenty here, and while this is an optimistic zombie movie, it’s still full of the blood-covered, flesh-eating undead.
Marilyn really wanted to see this, which surprised me just a bit. But I sure had no objections, and, as someone who’s been playing banjo for almost 40 years, I was really pleased to see someone get clobbered with one. 😀
Yes, it was really funny. I liked it a lot and I’d recommend that anyone who doesn’t mind zombie-style gore should go see it themselves. Preferably with friends, because you’re going to want to make comments every so often.