Zombieland (Fleischer, 2009)

[shariqq]

Much can be said about what makes Zombieland such a good movie. To put it quite simply, it's an ingenious and whimsical revival of a dying genre, made for our post modern generation. It also features the best cameo this side of Tropic Thunder. Most importantly however, it stars a maverick, trigger-happy Woody Harrelson who, if there ever was one, is a natural born zombie-killer.

Zombieland has a simple enough premise. The world (or USA, for it matters not) is over-run by zombies after humans are infected by a wild, human variation of the Mad Cow disease. Amidst this chaos, college nerd Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), survivor of the initial infection, eventually encounters eccentric cowboy Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). While travelling together, they meet sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Together, they work on surviving the apocalypse as well as learning to trust each other while they make their way towards… an amusement park.

The one thing this movie could have done more with is zombies. For most of the second act, we see very few of the undead. By no means does the movie lose its pace or track, but given its title, you are made to wonder where the American populace, dead or otherwise, is. Thankfully, and clearly taking its cue from Shaun of the Dead while almost becoming its worthy successor, Zombieland teems with tongue-in-cheek humor and laces it with absurdist excesses (at least when offing zombies). There isn't much a director or script can get wrong when the setup requires the services of Woody Harrelson in such manic display. Tallahassee revels in his new-found talent of zombie-killing, and fortunately for Harrelson, director Rubin Fleischer presents him with ample opportunity to make the most of it, letting him choose the weapons to suit the killing. Columbus becomes his gutless sidekick while retaining the obligatory zombie movie role of the common man as apocalyptic survivor– he makes a list of rules essential to survive and then sticks by them. These rules, narrated in voice-over, become the basis of many laughs during the course of the film. Zombieland is primarily a comedy, but succeeds as both a romantic feature and a family movie (notwithstanding the level of gore). Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, wielding shot-guns, provide the respective romantic and family angles.

With a sparse running time of 88-minutes, director Fleischer doesn't present his offering without any semblance of seriousness. Smartly paced and punctuated with quirky ideas and anecdotes, the movie draws out laughter and compels you to enjoy the fun and splatter unfolding on-screen. Owing to a vague opening and an ambiguous ending, Zombieland feels like the middle-chapter in an ongoing series of stories set within the same world – perhaps with the same people, or another bunch of survivors elsewhere. The endearing characters, without the imposed constraints of chronology, elevate Zombieland from being yet another zombie-movie comedy to what is a macabre, fun-filled experience at the cinemas, quite easily one of the year’s best.

My rating --> 4 of 5

[ayaa1977]

Did they open it for Eid in Dubai?  It was not in schedule I recieved from Cinestar.

[shariqq]

It's not released yet, it comes out on 3^rd Dec. I caught it at a pre-screening with kaytee.

[ayaa1977]

It's not released yet, it comes out on 3^rd Dec. I caught it at a pre-screening with kaytee.

Next time I come to town you have got to get me into one of those , ok guys?

[kaytee]

This is the second movie of Jesse Eisenberg I have loved this year, the first being Adventureland.

Loved Woody Harrelson and the cameo from BM, Shariq you forgot to mention that Woody not only loved killing zombies but was obsessed with finding Twinkies .

A nice zombie film though more it wouldn't have hurt to have a few more zombie killings.

[animatedude]

it's entertaining...i loved how the rules numbers show on the screen every time he mentions them but it's easily forgettable.

the news that the sequel will be in 3D is exciting,i'm sure it will be much more better..

[ayaa1977]

Really wonderful horror-comedy and nice riff on the Zombie metho. It is not quite Shaun of The Dead but it damn close second. Starting from the titles sequence I thought the film would be amazing

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sJA3Sj4pfEA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/sJA3Sj4pfEA&rel=1</a>

One of the films strongest arcs is Jesse Eisenberg's Columbus survival roles and how the kept the ongoing joke running relentlessly the whole film.

"The first rule of Zombieland: Cardio. When the zombie outbreak first hit, the first to go, for obvious reasons... were the fatties."

The all four leads were so strong and the comedy was just hilarious. Woody Haralson of course is a monster on screen and you can't take your eyes of him.

"Columbus: You know there's a place untouched by all this crap?
Tallahassee: Out east, yeah?
Columbus: Yeah.
Tallahassee: Out west, we hear it's out east, out east they hear it's out west. It's all bullshit. It's like you're a penguin at the North Pole hears the South Pole is real nice this time of year.
Columbus: There are no penguins in the North Pole.
Tallahassee: You wanna feel how hard I can punch?"

Even B.M. cameo which divided people I found it so hilarious and perfectly executed. The final showdown on the Pacific Playland was just amazing and suspenseful, and it was a perfect way to end a film. I really enjoyed it and I would give it 4/5. 

[madali]

Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009)

"Time to nut up or shut up!"

I haven't seen a zombie movie for a while now, and while I was not looking, and tending to my life, it seems they have fucked zombie movies while I wasn't paying attention. Not fair, dudes. Now, it's not that "Zombieland" is a bad zombie movie, it's just that its hardly a zombie movie. It's mainly about a coming-of-age movie, where nervous, awkward Michael Cera meets a hot girl, and it changes his life. "Zombieland" doesn't have Michael Cera, but it might as well had him.

This means that the zombies are just an excuse to make the quirky genre a bit quirkier. Nowadays, this genre is having some novelty on the usual routine plot, such as adding superheros like "Scott Pilgrim vs the World". Here it is zombies, but it could have been any other monster. Sometimes, the film just seems to forget its even about zombies. The worst part of the film is surprisingly a cameo with Bill Murray. I never would have imagined that a Bill Murray scene would be the worst part of anything, but there you go. It is so forced, like one of those cameos in sitcoms, where when the lead singer or 70s has-been actor enters the scene, the audience cheers and claps, and the characters goes, "It's lead singer Bono from the rock group U2 to help us win the annual cake eating contest!"

It's almost like that in "Zombieland".

With all those complaints, I'm still fairly okay with the film. So, no worries, you don't have to hide it from me if I come to visit your house for some illegal sexual action.

3/5

[shariqq]

So, no worries, you don't have to hide it from me if I come to visit your house for some illegal sexual action.

Hahahaha!

[fizz]

You complain when a film follows convention and even when it doesn't.

And what do you mean you haven't seen a zombie film in a while. At least one movie in each set that you watch is a zombie film! How long is too long?

Anyway, for the record, I found the film very enjoyable (and funny!) and while the cameo was a bit awkward at first, I liked that the film had the good humour to be irreverent with it once its purpose was fulfilled. Oh, and fantastic stand-off at the end.

[madali]

How long is too long?

It's always too long!

[ayaa1977]

I agree with Fizz, this film was so funny, and the four leads were enjoyable. This film is immensely rewatcable.