Thursday, April 19, 2012

ZOMBIELAND movie review

Zombieland

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin

Running time: 88 minutes

Year: 2009

Directed By: Ruben Fleischer

Written By: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick
I have just finished watching Zombieland and I have to say it is so much fun. I was laughing throughout and I'm pretty sure that I was watching it the whole way through with a silly smile on my face. That is how this film will make you feel because it is so silly, but so good at the same time.

The plot is a little threadbare but I'll let you know what the plot is meant to be. Jesse Eisenberg plays Colombus, a student who is one of the few survivors of the epidemic which has turned everyone else into zombies, hence calling the USA; Zombieland. Due to him being a bit of a loner, he decides to head across the country on route to his parents in Ohio. As the film begins we see him begin his journey and via narration he tells us his situation, and also explains the rules he has to endure to survive. These rules are put forward with funky graphics on screen and with a short hilarious clip of the problems if you break them. This shows you how quirky this is going to be from the start.

Whilst on route he meets a bad-ass zombie killer called Tallahassee, played brilliantly by Woody Harrelson. They become a duo and both head across America, Colombus en-route to Ohio and Tallahassee to find the last box of Twinkies in America. As they travel they encounter zombies and Tallahassee shows us why he is such a bad-ass when it comes to killing them.

As they continue they meet two sisters, Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin), in a supermarket, who end up coning them and leaving them car less and weapon less. They set back off on foot and find themselves a hummer, complete with machine guns galore in the back, their lucky day. In their new car they eventually come back across the sisters and this time they join forces. The sisters are en route to a theme park, in order for the youngest sister to enjoy a bit of her childhood instead of living in a post apocalyptic world; also they believe it is zombie free. On their way they take refuge in a Hollywood stars house, resulting in a hilarious cameo, and then once again they hit the road, attempting to avoid zombies and get to know each other a little better.

The film doesn't have a lot going for it in terms of story, but what it lacks in it makes up for in laughs, acting, and chemistry. So much about it is fun that you forget the films negatives. The cameo scene steals the show, and one of the lines, their final lines in fact, is absolutely brilliant. The final scene at the theme park is also great and the zombies themselves look hilarious as well as slightly scary.

The four leads are brilliant together, especially Eisenberg and Harrelson. Harrelson has some great scenes when he takes out zombies, with the graphics flashing up 'killing of the week' when he makes a good take down.

I can't praise this movie enough. Don't get me wrong it isn't the best film out there, and isn't the funniest comedy but it is a hell of a lot of fun. People will state that it is an American rip off of Shaun Of The Dead which I agree it probably is. The director even admits that he wanted to make this because of Simon Pegg's zombie comedy. The point is it knows it is a slight rip off but doesn't take itself seriously enough too care. Shaun Of The Dead has a better story than Zombieland, but Zombieland is just as much fun. Watch this film and I'm sure you will laugh out loud a lot more than once.

3.5 / 5

Next film to review: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

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