Zombieland (2009)

10 Comments

1. 

   Rare Addict from United States
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   Arguably one of the finest horror comedies of all time is EdgarWright's Shaun of the Dead, and since its release in '04, there havebeen a good number of wannabes. Based on the trailers for Zombieland,however, I thought that the film had some serious potential to matchShaun in terms of quality, possibly even usurp it. Having seen thefilm, I'm happy to say that Zombieland does just that.

   Unlike many comedies in recent memory, in which the majority of laughsare already provided by the trailer, Zombieland is filled to the brimwith laugh-out-loud moments, thanks largely to the brilliant cast.Eisenberg is awesome as the main protagonist, Columbus, portraying thatsense of vulnerability and awkwardness, without becoming too MichaelCera-like. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are also terrific as thesweet, yet tough Wichita and the more-mature-than-she-seems LittleRock, respectively.

   The real stand-out performance, though, is Woody Harrelson as theTwinkie-lovin', zombie-hatin' Tallahassee. Next to that of Woody Boydon Cheers and Frasier, this is definitely the best performance of hiscareer. There's also a painfully hilarious cameo appearance aboutmid-way through the film that would be a crime to spoil. Suffice it tosay, this is – hands-down – the best cameo that I've ever seen in afilm.

   The most surprising aspect of Zombieland, to me, is how much heartthere is. All of the characters feel warm and alive, and what dramathere is to be found feels extremely sincere. Ultimately, you feelinvested in the story and the characters, which – I think – is the mostimportant thing any film of any genre can do.

   Zombieland has instantly become a horror favorite of mine (comedic orotherwise). The – for the lack of a better word – quotable dialogue,consistently hysterical tone, and endearing characters, all cometogether to create a film that will undoubtedly become a cult classic.

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2. 

   jaypugh from United States
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   I caught a sneak preview of Zombieland with a friend and was impressedto say the least.

   Zombieland has to have one of the flashiest openings in memory. Thereis no subtle build up. You are dropped right into Zombieland asColumbus (Jesse Eisenberg) begins listing the rules to survival. Ofcourse each rule gives you a hysterical example of why the rule is inplace. Anything that has been taboo for horror films at one time is methead on. I won't list each as not to spoil the movie but Zombieland hasa unique ability to make almost anything seem comical. This includesthe fact that for some reason it seems that every zombie in Zombielandhas a blood belching problem. Literally every zombie has blood spewingfrom their mouth. This is captured best in the intro as you almost feellike you are supposed to have the 3D glasses in place.

   Columbus is funny enough with his phobias and geek lifestyle thatproves to be what keeps him alive but it isn't until he meetsTallahassee (Woody Harrelson), that things really kick into gear.Harrelson seems to have been born for this role. He has more one linersthan any character in recent memory. Each line is typically vulgar buteven if offensive it is near impossible not to laugh. Let's face it, ifyou are completely offended by language or blood then you aren't likelyto be sitting with a crowd watching Zombieland in the first place.

   A little romance is thrown into the mix when Columbus and Tallahasseecome up on Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Fora zombie comedy I thought Eisenberg and Stone actually had decentchemistry. Not that much time is dedicated to romance but what is therecomes across as sincere and lets us watch as Columbus transitions fromgeek to hero. Even without the romance the girls are an important partof the chemistry of Zombieland. They help to even out the brawn and thebrains between the four characters.

   Zombieland has a simple story. The guys are loners. Columbus with thesimple mission to stay alive and Tallahassee with a never ending searchfor any and all of the remaining golden Twinkies left on the planet.The girls are sisters who are trying to get to an amusement park in CAwhere they believe, or at least want to believe it is zombie free. Asmall part of the film feels like the movie Vacation with zombies. Thecomical trip with a destination which you can just feel isn't going tobe what the characters hope for. Like Vacation it shows that thejourney is far more important than the destination.

   The biggest moment of the film has to be the mystery cameo. I'm glad Ididn't know who it was and I won't spoil it for anyone else. I will saythat it was brilliantly written into the script. PERFECT! It reallygoes to show how much they focused on getting Zombieland to be a topnotch flick that should go down as a horror-comedy classic to remember.It will certainly fit alongside Shaun of the Dead in my moviecollection.

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3. 

   drono2 from United States
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   Just came from a sneak preview held in Baltimore and left the theaterfeeling very satisfied. You don't normally find a late September movieas good as "Zombieland" was. After dropping you in the action rightfrom the start, the movie keeps coming with constant laughs and goodaction. There were not a lot of scares in the movie, other than the fewobvious scenes where you could see one coming, but horror is not whatthe director was going for in this film. Laughs, however, come oftenand from many different directions. Jessie Eisenberg's nerdy, insecure'Columbus' character and Woody Harrelson's redneck zombie-killing'Tallahassee' play very well off each other and provide plenty ofmemorable moments. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are also solidthroughout. There is also one unforgettable cameo that had most of theaudience rolling in the aisles. The film has a simple, easy to followstoryline that does not provoke a lot of questions. Indeed, if you goto this movie expecting a lot of plot twists and surprises, you'regoing to be severely disappointed. There is however, good action, goodlaughs, and plenty of zombie related gore. At about 90 minutes long, itdoes not drag on and gets to the predictable but satisfying ending,going out in style. There will no doubt be a lot of comparisons to"Shaun of the Dead", which is nothing to be ashamed of, but this istruly a one of a kind movie experience that holds its own with any notonly any zombie movie in recent memory, but with any comedy so far thisyear. As long as you don't go into this movie expecting too much,you'll get your money's worth. Well done.

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4. 

   akerdan from United States
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   I just was exiting the theater after seeing '9', which is also worth alook, when my friend and I were offered tickets to a preview screeningof Zombieland, which began almost immediately. I had seen previews forthis picture, but I'd say this exceeded my expectations, which isn't tosay masterpiece, but it was certainly entertaining, and at about 90minutes, didn't really overstay it's welcome.

   As you might expect for this genre, it's quite gory, so don't goexpecting a light 'R' rating. But if you can handle some bloodshed, no,make that a substantial amount of bloodshed – but perhaps I should addin a comic environment – there's some pretty funny stuff here. WoodyHarreleson and Jesse Eisenberg make an amusing odd couple and EmmaStone was fine for this material, although she and Abigale Breslin hadslightly less to do.

   I'm certainly no expert on the horror genre or the zombie sub-genre,but I can say that this wasn't as scary as Shaun of the Dead, in factnot very scary at all, I may have jumped back just a tiny bit a fewtimes; however I may have laughed more. However I'm sure it does make adifference that I saw 'Shaun' alone on DVD, while 'Zombieland' Iwatched in a theater full of people laughing, clapping and cheering.

   Let's face it, you know what's going to happen in this flick, but I'mhappy to say, plot conventions and all, this delivers enough laughs soif you know what you're getting into I doubt you'll regret laying downthe price of admission for this sucker. Should you see it, see itopening night – if I haven't made it clear enough already, this is thekind of movie where the more enthusiastic people in the theater, themore fun it will be. And to end on a very positive note, 'Zombieland'does feature what just might go down in history as the best celebritycameo of all time.

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5. 

   coolvin91 from United States
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   Saw this at Fantastic Fest over the weekend and was very surprised athow great Zombieland really was! At first I was very skeptical. I hadseen my share of Shaun-of-the-Dead wannabe films and have had a gutfull of even hearing about zombedies.

   To be fair, this isn't really a comedy. It's more of a really funnyhorror film.

   The story itself is not complicated at all. Pretty much what you see inthe trailer is what you get story-wise. There is no explanation forwhat's going on and there are no "bad guys" other than zombies. It'sjust four "friends" (lack of a better word) surviving the apocalypse.This isn't a bad thing because it provides so much entertainment!

   The film really hits the mark with the humor. It never gets excessiveand sometimes the audience laughed so hard, I couldn't hear the movie.It's crazy how dead-on the humor is. The actors also brought a lot thetheir roles (especially Woody Harrelson) and each one was a PERFECTchoice. I laughed so hard watching Abigail Breslin explain to WoodyHarrelson about Hannah Montana. Don't know why- it was just well actedand timed.

   Although it is a very funny movie, it never lends itself to being atrue comedy because it is filled with scares and awesomely grotesqueviolence. Nothing like a good banjo to the face.

   The best part of the film was the violence. Seriously, if you aren'twatching a brutal, slow motion kill, you're watching Woody Harrelsonkick zombie ass like a pro. Zombie fans need not worry because thesezombies are vicious and bleed a LOT.

   The best way to describe Zombieland is a hilariously badass adaption ofLeft 4 Dead. I'd venture to say it is way more entertaining than Left 4Dead ever was, though.

   The film is just a tad bit short, but it is relentlessly re-watchable.I left the theater with a huge grin on my face and laughed whenfestival workers pushed twinkies and Zombieland purell bottles on me!Do yourself a favor and go see it.

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6. 

   KillerK1991 from United States
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   This film was a fun ride all the way through. It's lack ofscariness(non existent) and *GASP!* gore is more than made up for withthe constant flow of hilarity and likable characters. This is by farthe optimist's zombie film, as the way things play out are definitelydifferent than any one thats come before it(definitely not a Romeroflick, though I think his Land of the Dead actually is second place inthis regard). It has a sleek, very modern sense of style-just watch forhow each rule makes it's appearance/reappearance and a good message onthe importance of others in the worst of times. I recommend this toanybody who has a remote interest in comedies, zombie/end of the worldflicks, or just having a good time at the theater, and look forward toseeing it again when it comes out.

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7. 

   Cinemadharma from Boulder, Colorado
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   The name Zombieland conjures up a vision of a zombie-themed amusementpark — and that's exactly what this film is. Visually stylish and themost laughs I've had at the movies in a long time. A really solidscript and nice underlying story really helps make this so much morethan just a bunch of awesome zombie kills. That being said, this filmfeels as if you're playing a really badass zombie killing video game.

   Thanks to 'Natural Born Killers', Woody Harrelson has just the rightcult status and persona for this type of film, which is intended to payhomage to the great zombie 'B' movies of yesteryear, but really is agreat zombie 'A' movie with today's style & sensibility. JesseEisenberg (who has a certain Michael Cera shyness/eccentricity to hisdelivery, but doesn't seem nearly as pathetic as Cera's charactersoften come off) carries the film well. And of course, everyone istalking about the film's 'secret' cameo, and rightly so. It isabsolutely the best and most fun part of an already awesomely fun film– and it kept me laughing almost non-stop throughout that 10-15 minutesection of the movie.

   This is a zombie-comedy that deserves to take it's place amongst thebest of the genre, 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Army of Darkness'. In fact,what I wouldn't give to see a triple feature of these films at adrive-in theater on Halloween… the perfect place and time for azombie feeding.

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8. 

   Douglas Young (the-movie-guy) from Memphis, Tennessee
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   (Synopsis) The entire world is hit with an apocalyptic infection thatturns people into zombies once they have been bitten by an infectedzombie. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a young geek who has a lot ofphobias about almost everything from clowns, to bathrooms, to checkingthe back seat of cars. Being alone and scared of the outside world haskept him alive. His new fear is being eaten by zombies. To survive,Columbus has begun making a long list of rules to survive. Each time hegives you one of his rules, you see an example of his rule in action.He decides to go home to Columbus to see if his parents are stillalive. Along the highway, he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) aredneck zombie killer who loves Twinkies. They team up and head forTallahassee. On the way they meet and join forces with two girls,Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abagail Breslin). They may be thelast surviving people on earth, and they must rely on each other tosurvive.

   (My Comment) Zombieland is a horror comedy at its best. You usuallydon't see a zombie movie as a comedy, but you will like this one.Actually this isn't really a comedy; it is more a funny horror movie,because there is bloodshed in a comic situation. There is plenty ofblood splattering, plenty of killing and gore, and even some nudity ofa stripper zombie. The film delivers you four heroes that you can rootfor when the zombies come after them. You will begin to love the sceneswith the rules of survival that Jesse Eisenberg explains to theaudience in a background voice such as wearing your seat-belt, or thedouble-tap rule after you shoot a zombie make sure he is dead byshooting him in the head again. Trust me; this is not a wasted shot.Woody Harrelson's performance is terrific, as a redneck zombie killerwho misses his puppy Buck, and must find a Twinkie at any cost. Thereis one unforgettable cameo appearance that will take place at someone'sBeverly Hills mansion. I won't say his name, but it is hilarious. Thereis one thing that I must say about this zombie movie that is notnormally in zombie movies, and that is the fact that once these zombiesare infected they can run very fast. As a matter of fact that is rulenumber 1, be sure that you can outrun the zombies, because theoverweight and slow people were caught first by the zombies. There aresome pretty funny scenes, and you will laugh from beginning to end.(Columbia Pictures, Run Time 1:20, Rated R)(7/10)

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9. 

   (steve@reel-show.tv) from United Kingdom
   30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

   8.4 out of 10. Somebody must have given zombies the vote.

   * SPOILER ALERT * Except, what's to spoil? The writers ran out of ideasroughly seven minutes into the film. It starts off OK, if notbrilliantly. Via excessive voice-over, we are introduced to our firstone-dimensional Hollywood cardboard cut-out character ("25-year old,nerdy, Jewish, obsessive-compulsive, A-student, virgin"). He has a setof rules for survival: a nice device, but none of the rules are exactlyhilarious.

   We then meet our second one-dimensional character ("roughneck withbarely concealed warm heart"), and our first none-dimensional character("feisty girl with no logical motivation for anything she does otherthan to present a series of romantic challenges for her one-dimensional male admirer").

   ** SPOILER ** Hence, the two cardboard men enter a shop looking to helpreinforce the film's product placement deal. They kill three zombies ininexplicably unnecessary ways, then enter a back room to find two girls(how have they evaded the zombies?), waiting for real people (how didthey know the only other two people in America would be passing by?),so they can trick them (why?) and steal their car (why, when there aremillions of cars?) and guns (ditto) and drive off in the oppositedirection.

   Then, they lay another trap for the guys (how did they know they'dchange direction from east to west and pass by in that direction, downthat country road, at that time?), steal their car again (why, whenthey have one already?), kidnap them instead of leaving them behind(why? why? why? why? and, then again, why?). Ad absurdum, ad infinitum.

   The middle hour of the film made no attempt to interrupt the envelopingboredom. With Bill Murray, this is the first time I've seen an actorintroduced into a film exactly as if he were a piece of productplacement, along with ample cringeworthy toadying. It felt as if thestudio had said, "the script's not long enough, and we need an extra 25pages. Bill Murray owes us a favour, so you can have him for anafternoon, if you like. But you only have an hour to write it." Theyremark on how much he looks like Eddie Van Halen, which is bizarre,because he clearly looks like Michael Jackson. But maybe they thoughtreferencing Jackson would have felt too much like introducing a jokeinto the film.

   The final act was merely a bland shoot-'em-up computer game, butwithout the intellectual dimension.

   The role the zombies play in this film is as an uninteresting,unthreatening MacGuffin required to cause occasional distractions fromwhat is in essence the lamest love story between two of the leastinteresting characters in modern film.

   It's an insult to America to refer to Zombieland as an American Shaunof the Dead, a film which incidentally has an IMDb rating of just 7.8,against Zombieland's 8.4. Which is rather like Star Wars rating 7.8against Plan 9 from Outer Space rating 8.4.

   1 out of 10 because 0 isn't an option.

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10. 

    blackmambamark from United States
    30 Mar 2012, 8:09 am

    I mean come on, who doesn't think about what they would do if zombiestook over the world. Its a fun, yet serious question to think about.Most movies have it right, by taking the serious side of things. Butwhat if we take a video game approach and just run around killingeveryone of them? Uh…….you can more than sign me up for this one.OK, lets face the honest question…….if your some little prissy girlwho does not like or does not appreciate zombie films…….then thisis the wrong movie for you. This movie takes everything you havelearned from all those movies, and puts a comedic spin on it. I meancome on, a zombie stripper wearing nipple tasles running in slowmotion…..how could anyone not want to see that? The movie is verybasic in its groundwork, but excels in its humor and character drive.Woody is basically a zombie film buff's wet dream. A hoosier red neckwho wants to just kill zombies for the rest of his life. Now i mustadmit, towards the middle of the movie, it almost felt like theyweren't focusing on the whole zombie aspect that much……..mainlybecause they were adding a little depth to each of the characters. Butrest assured, by the end, it totally quenches your thirst. But throughall the hilarious dialogue and funny little zombie killing sequences,the best part of the movie was hands down the cameo. Now if you havenot heard who it is by now, im not going to say it……..but it isalmost genius, and probably the best cameo ever created, and i willstand by that 100%. Trust me, it is that funny. Bottom Line…….iknow i love zombie movies, and i might seem a little bias……..butdamnit, this movie is easily the best comedy of the year. It was theperfect mix of humor and gore……..not only that, the story waspretty decent, and very entertaining to watch unfold. This movie isseriously like a fun house at the carnival. It will easily be acceptedby the zombie lover crowd, and the general population. This movie iseasily one of the 10 best i have seen so far this year. If your lookingto have a good time at the theatre, this movie will surely providethat.

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