Review: Zombieland

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zombieland one sheetIt takes a certain sense of humor to enjoy a horror comedy film like Zombieland, but if you can laugh at graphic violence and can see the humor in parody, then this is a great movie for you to catch. Brilliantly funny, full of great lines, Zombieland offers a zombie film unlike any other I’ve seen, though perhaps the cult hit Shaun of the Dead comes somewhat close.

The film is set in the present and, as we learn from main character and narrator Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), everyone has turned into a flesh-eating zombie due to “patient zero” eating a virus-infected burger. I envision a really, really bad outbreak of E Coli. and think that those veggie burgers are sounding better all the time. Columbus explains “mad cow turned into mad person turned into mad zombie”.
Columbus, named after the city he’s trying to reach, hopefully to find his parents alive and well, has survived the zombie apocalypse by sticking to a set of survival rules, starting with Rule 1: Cardio. Zombies in this film can run pretty fast, so to survive you need to be in better shape than they are. Unfit humans don’t last long in Zombieland.
Rule 2 is the importance of the “double tap”: that second gunshot that ensures the zombie you’ve just shot, run over, or otherwise disabled is really, truly out of action. As he explains in the narrative, “a double tap helps you avoid being a human happy meal”.
If that sounds twisted, troubling and shocking, this probably isn’t the film for you, but if you’re thinking “human happy meal” and grinning just a little bit, run, don’t walk, to go see Zombieland!


Columbus meets up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) while walking down a highway strewn with crashed cars, corpses and even a crashed 747, in a scene reminiscent of the dopey Knowing. Tallahassee steps out of his car to the sf/x of an eagle screeching and they face off, shotgun to shotgun, and Columbus finally decides that the benefit of finding another non-zombie human far outweigh the danger of the situation.  For his own part, Tallahassee is a great, larger-than-life character who really makes the movie sparkle. Harrelson is clearly relishing this role too, one that’s simultaneously an homage to his earlier roles (like in Natural Born Killers) and his personal life interests.

Columbus has more rules that he relates, including Rule 3: Beware of Bathrooms and Rule 4: Wear your Seatbelt. In fact, he narrates that it’s a good idea to “fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” The next scenes are a montage of zombies attacking people, including a funny three-legged race that you should just see. I won’t explain more. Columbus definitely has hangups of his own, however, including a frequent need to stop at restrooms, a yearning to meet a girl he can “take home to meet Mom and Dad” and a deathly fear of clowns. 
The non-zombie group is filled out when the two men meet up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), sisters who have somehow survived the apocalypse and are ready to follow their one rule: “come what may, we stick together”.  If this means that they have to trick Tallahassee and Columbus, then so be it.

zombieland publicity still

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) pick their weapons

Tallahassee is on a quest of his own: for the last Twinkies in the world. Completely random, but quite funny because it contrasts so wonderfully with the tough, testosterone-riddled character who finds it entertaining to blow away zombies. In fact, there’s a recurring theme of “Zombie Kill of the Week” that is quite amusing, in a weird way.
One of the funniest scenes for me – as the father of a 12yo girl – was when Little Rock was trying to explain to Tallahassee about Hannah Montana. As they drove through the night, heading to Pacific Playland (the zombie-free refuge in the film), she earnestly explained that “No, [in the show] she’s only famous when she’s Hannah Montana, wearing the wig.” Something about that, in context, was hilarious to me.
On the way to Pacific Playland they arrive in Hollywood and decide to crash a celebrity’s house for a few days. They grab a Map of the Star’s Homes and Tallahassee decides they should head to the “top of the A list”, arriving at Bill Murray’s house. Playing himself, Murray is wry and amusing, and the homage to Ghostbusters is quite funny. When they realize that Murray doesn’t have any Twinkies in his house, Wichita says “I told you we should have gone to Russell Crowe’s house!” 
At one point in the film, they’re all talking about what they most like about the zombie apocalypse and Columbus says “the best thing about z-land? No Facebook updates.”  There’s lots more pop culture references in the film, including sideways compliments about Titanic and Anaconda, and a tiny cameo for the upcoming film 2012, something I particularly enjoyed.
In fact, I enjoyed the heck out of Zombieland. I went into the theater expecting a dumb gore film attempting to be funny, but really laughed more than I have for a long time, and just found it terrific fun. If your humor is a bit offbeat and you can enjoy satirical comedy, then I think you’ll really like Zombieland. Go see it. Just, go.

2 comments on “Review: Zombieland”

  2. Hey Dave,

    Saw Zombieland this weekend and it was a hoot!

    “Nut up or shut up.”

    Obviously, this is not a film for everyone, but for
    those who are familiar with the genre, it’s a lot of
    fun.

    Also, I’ve seen reviews that say it’s more of a road
    picture than a zombie film and there’s merit in
    that observation.

    All in all, I’d give it 3.25 starts.

    Marc

    Reply

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