Zombieland: Going To The Movies For A Change

For the first time in forever I found myself with a day off from work and a movie that I really wanted to see. I know not all of you are familiar with my stance on the inevitable zombie apocalypse but I am fairly certain that I would be one of the few survivors. If you want further details about my guide to zombie survival you'll have to ask anyone who witnessed me accomplish my goal as the lone human survivor in zombies vs. humans. I also thoroughly enjoy zombie movies and it may well be the only sub-genres of horror movies that I do enjoy. The primary reason that I have been looking forward to this movie is because A:It looked like Woody Harrelson doing what Wood Harrelson always should have been doing just kickin butt and takin names B: looked funny and C: looked like an interesting new take on the zombie genre.

Our story begins with our narrator Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) explaining how the zombies took over and explaining his list of survival tactics that have kept him alive despite his wimpy demeanor. Just for an example that's been used in the trailer Rule #2 is the Double Tap which means if you've shot a zombie once and think it's dead don't conserve the ammunition and take a second shot right into its brain. Columbus is on his way to visit his parents to see if they're alright and runs into resident zombie killer Tallahassee a redneck with a serious bone to pick with any zombie and severe urge to find a Twinkie. At one of their rest stops they run into sister Wichita and Little Rock and begin to trek towards an amusement park that is said to be devoid of any zombie activity.

After seeing this movie I am going to say that I enjoyed in thoroughly and did not regret my decision at all to go and see this movie. My second reaction was that I should address any qualms people might have with the movie that would prevent them from seeing it and then get into why I loved it.

Reason #1: It just looks like Shaun of the Dead. I'll admit that I'm a huge fan of that movie but the reason I was interested in this one was because it was made in America. Simon Pegg and company have their very own distinctive style that is going to be very different from anything done in the U.S. In addition, this the director's first film and you don't really make a name for yourself by stealing someone's idea. Rather than a group of friends going for survival this a story about a group of people coming together and learning to enjoy life in Zombieland (as they call it).

Reason #2: Jesse Eisenberg is just imitating Michael Cera. While I have to admit the nerd moments are just as frequent between the two of them Eisenberg just feels a little more like the rest of us and waaaaay less awkward. Cera is often so awkward in some situations you it doesn't feel real anymore. Eisenberg also does a good job by being the film's humorous and insightful narrator. Just try and imagine Cera doing the same.....doesn't sound like a great idea does it?

Now all my love for zombie movies aside there are multiple reasons that I really enjoyed this movie. It keeps the laughs coming throughout the entire film. If there was one complaint I would have about Shaun of the Dead it was that about two thirds of the way through the film everything takes a severe right turn on serious and it carries over for the rest of the film. Here you'll be laughing even as you witness a zombie chase after Columbus because you'll see one of the rules pop up on-screen as reminder or Tallahassee will chime in with something truly ignorant yet hilarious.

The cast is also very strong and though it features only two established stars (that being Woody Harrelson and dynamite cameo that I am not going to ruin for anybody). You'll recognize Emma Stone from Superbad and Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine. I've honestly been impressed with the variety of films Miss Breslin has been doing. I was a big fan of the decision to use such a small cast because it really gives you the feeling that there is nobody else out there and it also means they had more money left over for special effects.

One thing that also impressed me greatly were the actions sequences and how well this movie was shot. The opening credits feature a number of fantastic slow motion shots featuring people fleeing zombies and Woody Harrelson gets to cut loose and unleash hell on the zombie population of the world. By the time he lets loose in the amusement park you'll be slightly wowed by some of the stuff they came up with. Just imagine a zombie fight in an amusement park and you'll get the idea.

The movie does a number of other things well such as length. Where other movies drag on or go to the mall or something this movie has our heroes enjoy the place and be on their way. At eighty minutes people will leave craving more but I think that's always a better idea that leaving people overloaded. Pacing isn't a problem because the story keeps moving and the movie does an excellent job of mixing humor, action, horror, and dramatic elements though the focus is primarily on the first three.

Now I give my disclaimer. This is not a movie of the year or a new all time favorite or the deepest movie out there. It's essentially a ninety minute zombie romp but thankfully it's a movie that knows what it is. Also if you didn't like zombie movies before you won't like this movie anymore just because it's funny. There is the typical zombie gores though strangely most of it comes from the characters killing the zombie after the first ten minutes so you never really get the experience of someone screaming as they get eaten to death. So maybe this might change your opinion. Of course there are a lot of "was that even necessary" moments so the choice is yours. I enjoyed it immensely so if you've ever played zombies vs. humans or simply want to take notes on survival definitely see this movie.