Directed by: Ruben Fleisher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Other Actors of Note: Amber Heard, Bill Murray
Plot: In the horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss -- but when you're afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive. Tallahassee is an AK-toting, zombie-slaying' bad ass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies. Taken from www.imdb.com.
Any time a movie that features zombies (or anything vaguely resembling zombies for that matter) it's always met with a review of "like 'Shaun of the Dead'." This invariably leads to disappointment as nothing is ever like "Shaun of the Dead."
Now, even more cringe-worthy for horror fans than the above is when it's called the American equivalent to "Shaun of the Dead" as American humor and British humor are nothing even vaguely similar to each other so such a thing is impossible.
However, "Zombieland" is the American equivalent to "Shaun of the Dead." Grand in scope yet focusing on a very small group of survivors, a romantic comedy that deals with friendship and trust, and a plot involving a safe haven that is tied more to nostalgia than any sort of logical belief that it will be even moderately safe.
Of course, many people will be dissatisfied with this movie on that comparison as they don't realize what that comparison means. "Zombieland" is a toned down zombie apocalypse that implies a lot more than it shows and shows just enough to be passable to the average horror fan but palatable to the average moviegoer as well. As such, there isn't really a lot of "horror" in "Zombieland."
It's a movie that's been sweetened up and toned down so that it will be likeable by a mass audience. Now STOP! Quit your fucking crying, you wanted this and we're going to talk about why what I just said isn't necessarily a bad thing. Hell, "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" was rated PG with nary a drop of blood present and it still managed to be one of the creepiest things I've ever seen.
So anyway our hero is Columbus (all the characters are named after their destinations rather than their actual names according to Harrelson's Tallahasse so that they wont get too attached) a 20-something dork who has managed to survive due to the rules he has set out.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a loner which was part of how he's survived so well this long, but he's beginning to miss people and is on his way to Columbus, Ohio to try and find his family. It is on his road to home that he meets up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). A shit-kicking badass with a love of twinkies, killing zombies in elaborate manners, and painting Dale Earnhardt's number on the door of every vehicle he drives.
The two meet up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock ("Little Miss Sunshine's" Abigail Breslin) who promptly rob them blind and leave them for dead. Naturally they meet again and become fast friends and Wichita and Columbus fall in love.
Jesse Eisenberg plays our hero Columbus who's quiet, shy, and not particularly confident. I know Eisenerg invented the whole "shy cute dorky guy" thing but there are times that he seems to be channeling Michael Cera, although briefly. Eisenberg is a likeable "everyman" type of hero that is an exaggerated play on the theme of losers and nobodies becoming heroes in a post-zombie world. He's a capable protagonist and helps move some of the sweeter side-plots along.
Woody Harrelson is the show stealer as anyone can imagine. Tallahassee is like a kid in a grown man's body with a love of destruction and loud noises. He has a very childish sense of humor and plays nicely off of Eisenberg's reserved seriousness. However, there's a moment toward the midway point where we learn something about Tallahassee that adds a degree of depth to his character which Harrelson pulls off flawlessly.
Wishing no offense to Emma Stone, any actress could have played her part, or at least played it as well. Wichita is the least fleshed out of our four leads and at teams is actually rather unlikeable as a selfish person with trust issues who takes advantage of everyone except her kid sister. I feel that the writers could have crafted a better romantic interest for Columbus, as it stands "romantic interest" is the only actual purpose that Wichita seems to serve.
Abigail Breslin's Little Rock is no more necessary to the plot than Wichita but having a much more talented actress behind the wheel serves to make her endlessly more endearing. Little Rock is essentially the 12-year-old version of Wichita but Breslin manages to make this character traits funny where Emma Stone only makes them seem ugly and mean-spirited. One particular scene involving Little Rock explaining "Hannah Montana" to Tallahassee is particularly hilarious.
As I stated above, I feel one of the biggest flaws with this movie is that the two female leads feel tacked on and unnecessary. I understand they needed a romantic subplot but I felt the movie would have worked better as a road movie with Eisenberg and Harrison, bringing in Stone and Breslin midway through the second act rather than at the beginning of the first.
However once you get used to Little Rock and Wichita's malicious personalities they fit in fairly well and you can enjoy the rest of the movie which really doesn't go much of anywhere. There's a great scene with Bill Murray but it's at the very end of the second act and there's very little that happens before it.
This brings me to my next problem, the zombies at most times feel like little more than mild annoyances and after the opening of the movie there's only one other scene (the action-packed finale) where any of the characters seem to be in any real amount of danger. It builds up a sense of security that is not included in zombie movies because it makes things duller.
Of course this movie, much like "Shaun of the Dead", focuses on the romantic comedy angle first and foremost with the zombies as a backdrop. So don't be disappointed when the gore for the most part is just lots of blood and everything seems more funny than scary. This film is more of a dark comedy than horror.
However, while these things are not optimal, unless you're just too stuck up your own ass to enjoy yourself none of these problems are insurmountable. It's a fun, sweet, thoughtful, and funny movie that may not be as hardcore or as laugh out loud as you would like. But it is good.
Originally "Zombieland" was created to be a TV show and that shows with the sparce finality of the movie which plays more like a pilot than anything. Fortunately this thing grossed a shit-ton of money so it's all but confirmed for a sequel. And with a little fine tuning I feel that the flaws with this movie can be overcome in a second outing.
You may be disappointed in the reality of what "Shaun of the Dead" would look like as an American movie, in which case you should go watch "Fido" (which is also great) and let the rest of us enjoy a movie that you'll sadly never get.
I give "Zombieland" a 4 out of 5. Not a perfect movie or a must-own, but a damn good movie that deserves the love it's gotten.
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