Title: Zombieland (2009)
Runtime: 88 minutes
Director: Ruben Fleischer
—
Zombie films don’t get much better than Zombieland. With four incredible actors, a ridiculously funny script, and all the zombie gore you could hope for, it’s just about perfect.
Like most zombie films, the story doesn’t take much setting up: something happens, and the dead start walking again, trying to feast on the living. Why or how doesn’t matter, what does matter is how the characters will overcome, if at all. This time around, we follow Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), named after his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, who comes across another survivor, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), again named after his hometown. These two decide to travel together for safety. On their journey they run into another couple of survivors, Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin; I don’t need to say that they were named after their hometowns, right?), and all four of their lives are about to face the biggest change since the zombies took over.
Z-land focuses more on the human connection than it does on fighting zombies, but there’s definitely enough zombie killing to keep those fans satisfied. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson make an unlikely pairing, but their chemistry together is incredible. Add in one of the best child actors I’ve ever seen – Abigail Breslin (from Signs) – and one of the more beautiful and talented actresses out there – Emma Stone, rocking some of the sexiest eye make-up I’ve seen her wear in her movies – and you’ve got a recipe for fun, violence, and hysterics.
I cannot wait for the sequel to release, not because I want them to improve upon anything in this first movie, but because I simply want to spend more time in this world, with these characters. They’re wonderfully likable and relatable in the strangest of ways.
Oh, and the cameo by Bill Murray is brilliant.
I just love this film.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
Good review. Loved this movie because it had so, so much fun with itself but seriously, why the hell would you go to a place that makes loud noises, aka, what attracts zombies?
That was always my question. That part kills me, but I can justify it as two people who are scared and depressed just trying to get back to something that they remember from before. It isn’t the right choice logically, but it is emotionally for them.