The Feel-Good Zom-Com of the Year
"And that’s what I do to zombies who snicker at my lady blazer."
ZOMBIELAND (2009/IN THEATERS) As SML’s self-anointed zombie mayhem-thusiast, I ventured out to see Zombieland, despite the sleepless nights and near bedwettings some people often experience after viewing a romp through the apocalypse. What can I say, someone is a glutton for punishment. But color me surprised, Zombieland is a lighthearted dysfunctional family comedy, less goofy and satirical Shaun of the Dead than National Lampoon’s Vacation featuring a virus plague. The dramatic tension in this sucker lasts about 10 minutes, and the remainder is spent with characters gently teasing each other, driving gas guzzlers through vacant cities, and learning lessons about life, love, and family. What the fuck? An end-of-days trifle? Should we be teaching the children that zombies are not to be taken seriously? Lives could be lost!
Which is not to say the movie doesn’t charm. Our 20-ish nebbishy narrator, Columbus (The Squid and the Whale’s Jesse Eisenberg), wins the audience over quickly with a rundown of his Rules of Zombieland (Rule #1: Cardio, Rule #2: Beware of Bathrooms) and his previous “zombie” life as a shut-in who fueled his World of Warcraft adventures with Mountain Dew Code Red. Woody Harrelson is just right as the unhinged loner he encounters on the road—Tallahassee’s quest for a Twinkie among the ruins is relatable to anyone who has spent a post-intoxication early morn’ searching for the perfect snack, or has a minor eating disorder. As con artist sisters, Abigail Breslin (who is aging much more gracefully than you imagined) and Emma Stone (in a rock chick outfit I covet) effectively undercut Ellen Page as Cutest Teenage Smartasses. The film’s action scenes are more entertaining than nail-biting, and the final act, in which zombies are blasted from various theme park rides, caps off the previous hour of exploding heads and gore gags quite nicely. Although I anxiously anticipated that, per standard horror movie outline, paternal figure Tallahassee would tragically bite it in the last few minutes—SPOILER ALERT—the group defeats a stampeding zombie horde, teamwork-style, and takes off for places unknown, full of carnival food and deep appreciation for each other. Um, I want to barf, but I can’t? Because this movie is adorable, and I am happy for its characters? Damn you, Zombieland, for making me feel.
Grade: B (raised slightly by a deadpan cameo from Herman Blume)
(Speaking of the living dead, do check out this delightful short interview/quiz with grandpa of the genre George A. Romero on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. Nerdtastic!)
Tags abigail breslin, emma stone, jessie eisenberg, ruben fleischer, woody harrelson, zombie mayhem
[...] recently enjoying Harrelson’s splendidly broad takes on two very silly roles in Zombieland and 2012, his sweet and earnest performance here as a churchy, gay-for-trains, golly shucks [...]
[...] to watch it. Thanks, TMC! Going in another direction completely, I finally got around to watching Zombieland on DVD. I thought it was lots of fun. Woody Harrelson is so great! Good for Jeff Bridges and [...]
[...] me that Cage’s Britney: The Hott Years costar here played Jesse Eisenberg’s doomed neighbor in Zombieland. More lines and fewer toilets to the face for her in this role, I’m guessing. I love the way the [...]