Zombieland is an enjoyable horror/comedy in the best tradition of the Evil Dead 2 and Shaun Of The Dead. Jesse Eisenberg stars as a young man who’s nicknamed Columbus. Attending college in Texas, Columbus has his curriculum abruptly halted when zombies start taking over the world. He witnesses the onslaught first hand when the pretty young neighbor from next door tries to take a bite out of him (after chasing him around his apartment). But despite being a somewhat nervous little nerd, Columbus quickly acquires useful information on how to survive a zombie apocalypse--hints which are helpfully relayed to the viewer as a series of rules that are displayed throughout the film.
Woody Harrelson is superb as Tallahassee, a super cool alpha dog who has turned killing zombies into an art form. His main purpose in life--other than killing as many zombies as he can--is finding the last perfect Twinkie, which he just knows is out there waiting for him. Eisenberg and Harrelson have a great, easy-going chemistry that’s fun to watch. Their Odd Couple On The Road vibe is shattered by the arrival of a pair of very savvy sisters. Emma Stone is engaging as Wichita, and Abigail Breslin is equally good as Little Rock, a pair of expert con artists who haven’t let a zombie takeover of the world stop them from getting to the one place where they believe they’ll be safe: an amusement park out in California.
Originally a failed TV pilot, writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, along with
first time director Ruben Fleischer, have created a genuinely funny film that’s
more about the characters than the zombie-plagued situation. But although this
is strictly a comedy, the filmmakers don’t hold back on the gore--and nor do
they avoid showing the desolation of a dying civilization, such as in the
highway scene where Columbus and Tallahassee first meet, where the road is
littered with abandoned cars, looking much like corpses. There’s a really cool
cameo in the film, and the cast overall is excellent. The laid-back, breezy
humor should appeal to zombie and horror movie buffs who are looking for
something different--and extremely funny. --SF
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