Review: Zombieland

Whoever knew the zombie apocalypse could be so much fun? Zombies are, in and of themselves rather hilarious creatures. They lumber around single mindedly, only able to focus on one thing at a time, usually involving human brains and the consumption of it. In the devastatingly zany world of Zombieland, the zombies aren't quite so lumbering. They're actually pretty fast, of the 28 Days Later variety, but they're no less stupid and focused. Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, named after the city he's trying to get to. Columbus, with good reason, is scared of pretty much everything. A loner at heart, he's managed to survive the zombie-thon by relying on nothing but his own wits and his dozens of rules for staying alive. These rules pop up on the screen hilariously, giving the movie an almost video game effect.

He meets up with a mysterious stranger, a hardened zombie killer known as Tallahassee, played with a sturdy chin by Woody Harrelson. Tallahasse and Columbus, after an initial rough patch which includes a ridiculous Mexican standoff, team up for the duration of their journey. Tallahasee considers himself the best there is at what he does, and what he does is kill zombies. With any tool available he can rip through a horde of the creatures, especially if they stand between he and his one true obsession: Twinkies. Not Snowballs or Suzie-Q's. Only Twinkies will suffice. They are soon joined by a pair of con artists, Wichita and Little Rock(Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin), who after humiliating the guys on more than one occasion decide that maybe it's safer to run in a pack.

That's all the story you really need to know. Zombieland drops you square into the thick of the action, but it's the comedy that never stops. I knew going in that this was a horror comedy, I just had no idea how funny it would be. The laughs never let up even for a second, especially during the film's "quieter" moments when this rag tag group of survivors try to relate to each other, often with disastrous results. Little Rock attempting to explain the conundrum that is Hannah Montana to the hard-nosed Tallahasee? Priceless.

What sets the film apart is that even though it's definitely a comedy, and an awfully gory one at that, there is a real emotional core to be found. All four of these people, without ever realizing it, are probably the only people left on the entire planet that aren't oozing undead juice out of every pore. These for loners have to find a way to create their own makeshift family out of whoever's available, and the bumps along the way are what make them most interesting. Each character is relatable for a different reason. Every performance is solid if not spectacular. Woody Harrelson has the market cornered on zany tough guy action heroes. I don't know what it was about Natural Born Killers but ever since that film he's had this type of role nailed down. Jesse Eisenberg, who most will recognize from Adventureland, plays the role he seems born to play, that of the brainy squeamish geek looking for love. But it's Emma Stone that has become my new obsession. She's done nothing but shine ever since Superbad back in 2007. Something about the maturity she brings to every single role, even if it's in an absurdity like The House Bunny or even here. The fact that she's incredibly sexy has nothing to do with it. Mostly.

First time feature director, Ruben Fleischer, makes one helluva impression. The opening title sequence alone is enough to get you primed for action, featuring the systematic(and undeniably funny) decimation of the human population by the hungry mouths of the zombie horde. There's some obvious nods to some of the best zombie movies ever, but the film that this will be compared to most is Shaun of the Dead. I don't think Zombieland is quite as groundbreaking as that film was, but it's nearly as funny and a welcome addition to the horror sub genre. Did I mention that Zombieland has arguably the best cameo appearance...ever? I won't spoil the details, but it alone is worth your time and hard earned money. So do yourself a favor: If you're going to see any movie about the end of the world, you might as well have fun with it and see Zombieland. You won't regret it.

8/10