Reviews

Zombieland Review

Zombieland is a comedy that will have you roaring with laughter while jumping in your seats.  The story is narrated by Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg, a relatively unknown actor cast probably because of his close resemblance to Michael Cera.  He’s a neurotic, anxiety ridden young man who, through his list of rules, has survived the zombie apocalypse.  He meets Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrelson, and together the two embark on their journey of survival.  They meet up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two sisters who are more than meet the eye.  For sake of not revealing any spoilers, and there are some good ones in this film, I want to focus more on the film itself and where it really stands in the zombie genre.

First off, as you know, there are really only a few great zombie films, a handful of good ones, and really a whole shit load of bad ones.  It is rare to stumble upon not only a good zombie movie but a great comedy as well.  The only other zombie comedy – or zomedy – is none other than the brilliant Shaun of the Dead.  I think that the real difference here is that Zombieland is a comedy through and through and Shaun of the Dead, while extremely funny, has some rather intense moments and the characters are faced with some daunting decisions.  Zombieland is actually rather free of that.  True, there are some scary moments (the girl sitting in front of me jumped about every 5 mins) but they were mostly brought on by musical spikes and camera tricks.  The focus was on Columbus’ rules and on the relationship that forms between the 4 survivors, while still having some great zombie moments.  The rules are spot on with most zombie survivalist’s rules.  It’s brutally honest – with cardio being one of the rules and that the “fatties” were the first to go. The movie deals with issues like being aware of bathrooms, checking the back seat of cars, and of course, the double tap – not worrying about wasting one bullet for the sake of making sure that the zombie is really dead.

What this movie lacked – in a very good way – was your typical “don’t go in there” scenarios…you know, the ones where you just sigh and realize that a character is about to get eaten.  On the flip side, when they do decide to do something that’s not very wise, they either have a really good reason for it or the threat is not quite what you think.

The actors delivered great performances all around.  Woody Harrellson is both lovable and quite a bad ass zombie killer.  There is also a wonderful cameo in the film that I will not reveal because it is simply awesome and is deserving of mystery.  Just know that you will not be disappointed.

I only have one complaint about this movie and it has to do with the zombies…I really didn’t like that they screamed.  They do, however, explain that the virus is a form of Mad Cow Disease so it is more like a rage-type virus than it is the dead rising.  Only that fact makes it ok…I’m still not thrilled with it but it does not, in any way, ruin the film for me.

This film is a MUST SEE by any fan of the zombie genre as well as those that enjoy comedies.  It is, however, not for the faint of heart as it is quite gory and does have a few scary moments.  You get it all  – comedy, drama, romance, and horror.

Here’s what some of the other members of ZWN had to say:

Michael: This movie was so good that I will try my best to avoid any spoilers.  First off, I am pretty sure I have never seen Jesse Eisenberg before but I think he was the right pick for this role.  For some reason, I can imagine the casting director trying to fit Michael Cera into this role for star power, but I don’t think he would have done it as well (and it would have been type-casting which I deplore immensely).  Woody Harrelson compliments the cautious Zombie survivor role of Eisenberg very well with his portrayal of the fearless red-necked Tallahassee.  Throw in the incredibly hot Emma Stone, young talent Abigail Breslin and you have an amazing cast.  Enough on the actors/actresses.  This film is not your average zombie film.  It’s funnier than Shaun of the Dead and considerably more believable.  As opposed to most zombie films in which the audience sits there and thinks, “That’s a mistake.  He’s sooooo dead” this film follows those rules that every zombie survivor knows of (i.e. out of shape people can’t outrun zombies, open doors with your shotgun in the lead, etc.).  It is, in my opinion, the most complete zombie movie to date and one that is not just made for zombie enthusiasts.

Dangermouse: I (Dangermouse) rank Zombieland somewhere in the middle between Night of the Living Dead and Shaun of the Dead. Its definitely an instant classic. I think this is Woody’s finest work, or at least his most comedic and the kid that played “Columbus” (Jesse Eisenberg) stole the movie with his dry humour and the chemistry and banter between both of them is great. I actually wrote all the rules down that are shown in the movie. Zombieland is bloody, gross, and absolutely hilarious. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids or as a date movie though. : )

Norm: If you like zombie movies or comedies, go see it now because you’ll love it.  If you are not too fond of either of these genres, avoid it like the plague.

Be sure to wait until the end of the credits for a little gem,  Zombieland is current the #1 movie in America and is playing everywhere.

Tags: Shaun of the Dead, woody harrelson, zombieland