Zombieland with Woody Harrelson Movie Review
Zombieland is a New Addition To The Horror Greats Pantheon
Oct 12, 2009
While Zombieland sets out to achieve a different vibe and tone than many of its counterparts in the recent wave of zombie comedies, it has just as many laughs as previous films such as Shaun of the Dead while still managing to retain enough 'wink wink' moments to please the horror crowd. It's clearly a film on a higher level than many similarly marketed films.
Zombieland: The Good
For starters, Woody Harrelson is absolute gold in the movie. That's an overused phrase nowadays, but his performance as zombie killer 'Tallahassee' is funny, bright, and even a bit poignant. The other actors are good enough to ward off his supercharged scene theft for the most part, with each main character having an interesting take of his/her own. Jesse Eisenberg in particular shines as the shy, nerdy, but endearing 'Columbus'. He does Michael Cera even better than Michael Cera, with more humanity and believability to his stuttering dorky affectations.
The direction is top notch. There is a continuous running gag regarding Columbus' list of rules (ways to avoid getting overtaken by zombies), and it's handled in a fresh, amusing way that has to be seen. The cinematography is nice, with plenty of great visuals and even some eye-popping scenery along the way.
Also notable is the soundtrack, which kicks right in with Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and sets the tone for this excellent film. Many theater-goers may leave the film singing Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some", a particularly inspired choice and much more fresh than the overused songs of the eighties metal catalogue.
The plot is pretty easy to follow: most of humanity has been overtaken by zombies, and America has been re-named Zombieland as a result. A few remaining human beings struggle with what's left of their real lives, all the while avoiding and killing the zombies that show up along the way.
Zombieland: The Bad
There isn't much by way of criticism to offer here; if you like the genre, you will most likely be pleased with the film. If you don't have a previous affection for this type of movie, you may still find yourself smiling and being drawn in by the fun and interesting characters presented.
If there is a nitpick, it's that the flow of the film is kind of disrupted here and there, particularly by the scene that's become a notorious spoiler on the internet because of its celebrity affiliation. It's a strange and funny scene, and a very unique one, but maybe goes on a bit long, as it seems to pull out of this bizarre cinematic world and become somewhat aware of itself. But it's a small complaint and shouldn't hinder enjoyment of the film overall.
There have been complaints of too many lulls in the movie, but some of those perceived 'overdrawn' scenes are among the most interesting and really help to drive the emotional impact home.
Zombieland: The Ugly
The zombies! The special effects (many of them practical - yay!) are more than solid, and the filmmakers don't skimp on the gory details (if you like that sort of thing). It's as if they wanted to achieve the feeling of a more notorious zombie flick, like a Romero "...of the Dead" offering, so as to make the comedic bits stand out even more in contrast.
Director Ruben Fleischer has mapped out a pretty fun and appealing film. It's hilarious, has a couple of decent jump scares, and as stated, even has a touching moment or two (somehow). Zombieland is a good example of the 'zombedy' sub-genre, and may even become a classic.
