Zombieland Movie Review
Zombieland Movie Review
47 rules, 50 states — it all adds up in Zombieland
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[Spoilers ahead]
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), one of the few fresh humans left in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with bloodthirsty zombies, has devised a method in which to preserve himself (and his sanity… kind of). That hide-saving scheme is comprised of following 47 imperatively important rules for survival, most of which center around driving (Always Check The Backseat, Always Wear Your Seatbelt) — and that's apropos, as Zombieland is more road-trip yuk-fest than it is a horror yuck-fest. (Still, zombie zealots will be drooling over the wide array of wicked undead on display.)
The first character we meet is Columbus, and it is through his eyes that we see the first signs of the zombie outbreak and its early aftermath. The fallout leads to a bleak and devastated country populated by the few survivors who're forced to become outlaws, living by the skin of their teeth and always on the move in search of sanctuary. Right from the beginning there is a good sense of the tone of the film — fun, irreverence and total lock-n-load rock 'n roll.
Before long Columbus teams up with the brash and bold Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a gonzo road-warrior whose only real goal is to scarf the last Twinkie on Earth. So as luck would have it, he finds everything but a Twinkie (there's a hilarious scene involving a mother-lode truckload of coconut Snowballs) as he and his younger protégé zoom through the highways, byways, trading posts and supermarkets.
On the flipside are two suspicious sisters, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), who are also in search of solace — not in the form of sponge cake, whipped cream and preservatives, but rather in the form of ferris wheels, funhouses and tilt-a-whirls. You see, Little Rock has always dreamed of going to a famed seaside amusement park in California, and her big sis will stop at nothing to make that wish come true. Which means Wichita will lie, cheat, steal and kill anyone who might stand their way.
When Wichita suspects that Columbus and Tallahassee may be trouble, the high-jinks ensue as the never-ending barrage of zombies continue to complicate matters. Wary cohorts in the battle against the undead, all four begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone, but they continue on in a road trip like no other (a detour to the home of revered comedian Bill Murray, playing himself, is worth the price of admission alone).
When I used the word "detour" above, I really meant it: My only sorta-kinda problem with Zombieland is its lack of focus. It's all over the place, almost a series of comedy sketches loosely tied together rather than a classic three-act film. Still, the action sequences are top notch, the bright, beautiful cinematography (Michael Bonvillain) is eye-candy galore and the casting and acting could not bolster the already strong dialogue (by The Joe Schmo Show's Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick) any better. Director Ruben Fleischer had a lot of elements to contend with, and all things considered, he did a fine job: I laughed a lot.
Zombieland isn't the new Shaun of the Dead and I didn't have quite as much fun with it as I did its undead contemporary (Jennifer's Body), but I highly recommend the film to anyone with an offbeat sense of humor and an unnatural craving for Twinkies.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
More on Zombieland:
Coming Soon! On camera interviews from the red carpet premiere