Zombieland Review

NOTE: This review is a repost from the first Reel Money Site. It was placed here to be included in our new archives. 

 Zombieland (2009)
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin.
Dir: Ruben Fletcher
Written by: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick.




Having me write a review of the zombie-comedy Zombieland is almost completely unfair, because given my personality, my demeanor, and being the target demographic, there was no way I was not going to love Zombieland. What's important here, though, is that there is no way that you will not love Zombieland. There is no conceivable way anyone will not love Zombieland. It's just that good.

The plot is simple. A highly contagious virus has turned most of humanity into rotting, mindless flesheaters, and nerdy, paranoid Columbus, Ohio (Eisnberg) happens to be one of the few people left alive, owing to his list of rules which he follows to the letter. On his way back to his hometown, and namesake, he meets Tallahassee, probably the best character Woody Harrelson has played, well, ever.  Tallahassee is very, very good at hating zombies, and killing zombies.Their meeting is a wordless, hilarious introduction that sets the tone for this feel-good buddy road comedy that just happens to feature hideous cannibalistic beasts. The gentlemen meet a pair of con-artist sisters on the road, codenamed Wichita and Little Rock, (Stone and Breslin) and they encounter each other numerous times, until finally the remain together long enough to make it to an amusement park outside of Los Angeles which is rumored to be zombie-free.

Screenwriters Reese and Wernick are to be given credit here, because from the above synopsis, Zombieland had the potential to be a very forgettable, if not terrible movie. Instead, their clever script manages to build up a funny, interesting story where many lesser films would fail.
It would be too easy to make a movie entirely out of headshots and wisecracks, and while there's more than enough of those, the film also tells a deeper story about trust and friendship. It's dealt with in several scenes that are poignant, particularly with Harrelson's character, but they go by quickly enough and are funny enough to get the point across without slowing down the action.

The pacing of the film is incredible, actually. Running just over 80 minutes, at no point in time does the story seem rushed, nor does it leave you unfulfilled. It builds up the characters, allows time for some amusing diversions (including the best cameo. OF ALL TIME.) and gives a satisfying, and violent climax. Really, Zombieland's appeal is that it knows it's audience and gives them what they want without stooping to the level of pandering. Whereas a lesser film would just leave Harrelson's character at "He's good at killing zombies and he loves Twinkies LOL" this script gives us a deeper look into what could be a shallow character, giving us a reason why he hates zombies so much that is dealt with in a manner that is respectful of the story's desire to be grander than itself, and of the audience's desire to see some damn zombie-killin'!

Of course, the film's greatest strength is the most simple. This film is funny. It's hilarious. Funnier than Shaun of the Dead, funnier even than my beloved Army of Darkness. It's quick, clever and witty, and has enough quips and outlandish moments to keep the viewer laughing so hard they might need to see the film a second time, to catch the jokes they didn't hear over their own guffaws. There is a lot of blood, but for the most part the gore is kept to a minimum, leaving room for more jokes. It's a smart tradeoff.

Final Total: $45. I may wind up seeing this film again, as mentioned earlier to see what I missed over the laughter and applause of the audience, and because there is apparently a scene after the credits I missed. Either way, this film is a must-own, and will probably be a shoo-in for my top ten films of the year.