Zombieland
Normally I steer clear of zombie flicks, monster movies, and anything else of that ilk. Don’t care for them much. Usually doesn’t seem compelling or interesting to me. (Except the time I blindly walked into the theater to see 28 Days Later and actually enjoyed it.) Nevertheless, I had heard such wonderful sentiment about Zombieland by critics and friends alike that I decided to give it a whirl.
The first thing to reel me in was the fantastic trailer the movie put out. Not to mention the very likable cast, made up of: Woody Harrelson, Jessie Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. They have all done work prior to this film that I quite liked and this was no different. In a tidy 90 minutes, you can watch the characters display pinpoint chemistry with each other, play off one another, and generally make you laugh. Whether it be to an offer of Purell, the hunt for Twinkies or just bashing zombies’ heads in.
Eisenberg’s character of Columbus reminded me of his outstanding portrayal of James in Adventureland. His “zombie check list” was utterly hysterical. He plays a neurotic angst 20-something quite well. And I have always had a sweet spot for the exceedingly gorgeous Emma Stone ever since Jonah Hill broke her nose. Lest we forget the gem of cameo by the legendary Bill Murray. (The Ghostbusters reenactment scene made the movie for me. Stone was dead on as Janine the secretary. That shrill voice is unforgettable).
Mainly though, I liked this movie mostly because it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill zombie flick, but more about following the adventures of these 4 people who have nobody else. Zombies being strewn about were sort of an afterthought. (Well, except for when Tallahassee piles up more kills than Topper Harley!) It had this underlying B-Movie quality to it (similar to Snakes On A Plane) combined with a touch of grindhouse and pure comedy to make it the touchstone of the genre, in my opinion. See if you are looking to laugh at splattered brains as well as several funny one-liners, I suggest you NUT UP OR SHUT UP!
