← Back to Reviews
in
ZOMBIELAND
From the "Check your brain at the door and enjoy the ride" genre of filmmaking comes 2009's Zombieland, a thundering and imaginative post-Apocalyptic adventure that moves at a lightening pace, never takes itself too seriously and entertains from start to finish.
The entire country has been destroyed by zombies, leaving nothing but carnage and destruction in their wake. There are a handful of human survivors trying to find passage to safety but, of course, the zombies are still out there.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a nerdy college student trying to get back to Ohio to find his parents who runs into Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a cocky, gun-toting tough guy obsessed with twinkies and they meet a pair of sisters (Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin), also trying to get home, initiating one of the wildest human vs zombie showdowns ever.
Director Ruben Fleischer displays definite influence in his work...Spielberg, Tarantino, Romero, Craven...his use of slow motion even brings to mind the great Sam Peckinpah, but it is influence only...his work is truly original and his ability to properly pace an action film is unparalleled. The main reason I said to check your brain at the door is because the movie doesn't allow you time to think...if you try to figure out everything that's going on, you're going to miss a lot. The screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick is delightfully tongue in cheek and applies great pressure to the 4th wall without actually breaking it...every time Columbus employs one of his rules, it appears on the screen in huge block lettering. We're placed in the middle of an awesome action adventure that never lets us forget it's just a movie either.
Woody Harrelson absolutely lights up the screen as Tallahassee and appears to be having a ball here...I don't think I have ever enjoyed him onscreen more and the unexpected chemistry between him and Eisenberg, brilliantly channeling Tony Randall, is a joy to watch. There's also an off-the-wall cameo appearance by Bill Murray, whose mansion provides our quartet a brief respite from their adventure, but it's only brief. This movie was one hell of a roller coaster ride...speaking of which, the finale that takes place in a deserted amusement park, is nothing short of spectacular. Don't try to figure it out, don't think about it, just hold onto something and watch. Fans of Tremors, Eight Legged Freaks, and From Dusk Til Dawn will have a head start here.
From the "Check your brain at the door and enjoy the ride" genre of filmmaking comes 2009's Zombieland, a thundering and imaginative post-Apocalyptic adventure that moves at a lightening pace, never takes itself too seriously and entertains from start to finish.
The entire country has been destroyed by zombies, leaving nothing but carnage and destruction in their wake. There are a handful of human survivors trying to find passage to safety but, of course, the zombies are still out there.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a nerdy college student trying to get back to Ohio to find his parents who runs into Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a cocky, gun-toting tough guy obsessed with twinkies and they meet a pair of sisters (Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin), also trying to get home, initiating one of the wildest human vs zombie showdowns ever.
Director Ruben Fleischer displays definite influence in his work...Spielberg, Tarantino, Romero, Craven...his use of slow motion even brings to mind the great Sam Peckinpah, but it is influence only...his work is truly original and his ability to properly pace an action film is unparalleled. The main reason I said to check your brain at the door is because the movie doesn't allow you time to think...if you try to figure out everything that's going on, you're going to miss a lot. The screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick is delightfully tongue in cheek and applies great pressure to the 4th wall without actually breaking it...every time Columbus employs one of his rules, it appears on the screen in huge block lettering. We're placed in the middle of an awesome action adventure that never lets us forget it's just a movie either.
Woody Harrelson absolutely lights up the screen as Tallahassee and appears to be having a ball here...I don't think I have ever enjoyed him onscreen more and the unexpected chemistry between him and Eisenberg, brilliantly channeling Tony Randall, is a joy to watch. There's also an off-the-wall cameo appearance by Bill Murray, whose mansion provides our quartet a brief respite from their adventure, but it's only brief. This movie was one hell of a roller coaster ride...speaking of which, the finale that takes place in a deserted amusement park, is nothing short of spectacular. Don't try to figure it out, don't think about it, just hold onto something and watch. Fans of Tremors, Eight Legged Freaks, and From Dusk Til Dawn will have a head start here.