Zombieland: Movie Review

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I wanna live in ‘Zombieland’.

They’re as iconic as werewolves and vampires and have captured the imagination of audiences for decades. They manage to pop up every so often in films that either portray them as mindless gimps or as enraged fiends hungry for man flesh. They are of course, zombies!

It began with Michael Curtiz’s 1936 classic “The Walking Dead” but it wasn’t until George A Ramero’s “Night of The Living Dead” did the concept of the "zombie flick" really take flight. His ingenious vision created a sub genre of film that would live on for decades. Undergoing rigorous facelifts over the years, it wasn't until the mid 90s when the concept began to transform into what we now know as the modern “Zombie Horror”.

But that wasn’t enough and, looking back at the genre’s historical milestones, it becomes clear as to why an element of comedy could be found lingering in the subtext of those films that have all gained a touch of cult status. Whether it was Ramero’s intention to at first frighten and later amuse is unknown, but those who followed in his footsteps have taken the concept through its highs and lows.

The first “Zombie Spoof” was introduced to the world by Edgar Wright. “Shaun of the Dead” (the title playing on the franchise started by Ramero with his 1978 release, “Dawn of the Dead”) starred the British comedic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It took to task the lunacy of a world turned post-apocalyptic overnight, thus overrun by bloodthirsty corpses.

In it’s own right the film was a success, and managed to tap into the “funny” element we’d all been missing out on. Cult status soon followed, and when news crept up of a Zombie comedy horror called “Zombieland”, everyone thought it to be the Americans attempt at what the British had already succeeded in achieving. But where they right?

When reviewing a zombie flick one must remember that the genre is limited. Each film requires a handful of quintessential components in order for it to succeed, and in “Zombieland” these components are abundant. You have your lead characters, abandoned and alone in a world gone mad, each fighting for their own survival and, you have your flesh-eating zombies.

The film starts off with an introduction to Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a young obsessive compulsive who has managed to remain alive due to a fiery distrust and firm set of rules he follows religiously. He carries with him a double barrel shotgun and is in search of “safe zone”, one he hopes exists in his hometown of Columbus Ohio. He runs into a drifter called Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) on an abandoned highway, and begins a partnership with a man who has a sickly twisted fetish for killing Zombies.

The pair meet their match when two young girls, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), hustle them out of their Cadillac Escalade leaving them high and dry in zombie infested back country. But with only a handful of survivors, and only so many places to go, the group are soon re-united forming an alliance based on mistrust and a desire to share some sort of existence reminiscent of the lives they’ve now left far behind. Thus begins a road trip that takes them to the lavish estates of high society Hollywood and comes to a climatic finish inside a zombie infested amusement park turned battleground.

You have to watch this film to understand its brilliance. The blend of terror and farce is seamless, which sets it apart from the spoofs allowing it to run side by side with the classics but at the same time creating a league of its very own. For a first time director (Rubin Fleischer) to deliver a tasteful Zombie movie, without the cheese, is worthy of merit. He clearly paid attention when he re-watched those films that make up the body of the Zombie-library, and was careful not to upset those diligent fans that could easily spot an amateur.

The effects are just shy of tacky, which one expects from this sub-genre, and the cinematography gives the film an edge that allows the fun stuff to play out in style. All of which would have been impossible had the cast not have included the strong talents of veteran actor Woody Harrelson (No Country for Old Men) and rising star Jesse Eisenberg. The challenge lay with Woody, who worked closely with co-stars more than half his own age, at least. This alone shows the skill and commitment of his younger counterparts who hold their own, and for the most part don’t allow him to steal the show.

Eisenberg, who has developed a sheepish typecast similar to that of Michael Cera, plays his part convincingly and proves once again that the loser can indeed save the day and claim the pretty girl with the blue eyes. This mismatched “family” is rounded off by Breslin’s soon to be award winning presence who showed her elder counterparts how to deliver take after take. The cherry on top is the cameo appearance by the funny man himself, Bill Murray, who lets loose in a role where he plays nothing but himself. Look out for the scene involving a shotgun wound!

In my opinion this film lives up to the standard and even raises the bar a few notches. It’s funny, human and frightening all at the same time and deserves every bit of success it could possibly achieve.

Rating: ****
Running time: 88 min

Jasyn Howes
On Screen.