Reviews
Zombieland
October 7 2009
Ruben Fleischer
Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
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The year 2009 introduces a new law of cinema: if a film stars Jesse Eisenberg and features the word ‘land’ in the end of its title, it will infinitely surpass your expectations. The trailer for Adventureland promised dumbed-down gross-out antics – but delivered a tender comedy of coming-of-age awkwardness filled with deliciously bittersweet nostalgia, and with real wit to match its charm.
Just the title of Zombieland will have many viewers (even horror diehards) dull-eyed and groaning at the prospect of yet another zombie flick, after the subgenre spread through the noughties like a rage virus, gradually, through sheer, bludgeoning repetition, draining cinema of its brains.
Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick know this. They know that we are all bored of zombies. So instead they deliver a comic rites-of-passage road movie in which four misfits drift through an alienating world before finding each other. Our narrator and anti-hero Columbus (Eisenberg) is a neurotic, fretful, obsessive-compulsive, people-fearing virgin who has lived his whole life as though under siege. Tallahassee (Harrelson) is an angry, infantilised fighter who, not unlike a zombie, will happily kill for what he craves (in his case, a Twinkie). Wichita (Emma Stone) and her 12-year-old sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) have been on the run – and on the grift – all their lives. After crossing paths and each other, this odd quartet ends up forming a post-modern family unit together, as an alternative to the ‘nuclear’ model that has turned the rest of America into a land of conformist, consumerist living dead.
Which brings us neatly to the zombies. Zombieland is full of the ravenous infected, bloodily devouring anything that gets in their way – but here the undead, and the apocalyptic landscape that they have left in their wake, serve as wallpaper, offering satiric foils to the journey of the four principal survivors who always remain – and rightly so – the focus.
In keeping with both its title and the amusement park setting of its final scenes, Zombieland is a funride through zombified American society, full of genuinely hilarious lines and situations. It also offers what must constitute the weirdest (and funniest) star cameo since John Malkovich’s multiple turns in Being John Malkovich. But as our fugitive foursome briefly stops in at Hollywood’s La La Land for some cinema-oriented lampoonery, revealing just who is encountered there would be to ruin the surprise.
Anticipation:
Enjoyment:
In Retrospect:
Just watched this and loved every minute of it. And that cameo (I won't give it away) was such a stroke of genius that it'll be gracing every "Top 10 Movie Cameos" list from now on…
Written by Lim Salt on October 3rd, 2009 at 00:50
Just watched this and loved every minute of it. And that cameo (I won't give it away) was such a stroke of genius that it'll be gracing every "Top 10 Movie Cameos" list from now on…
Written by Lim Salt on October 3rd, 2009 at 00:50
If you don't want to know who that cameo star is, don't read the Variety review as it gives it away. Just sayin. Ruined it for me.
Written by Dan Stewart on October 3rd, 2009 at 15:54
Even if you know who it is, though, what they do with the cameo is still both funny and surprising – so don't be put off, Dan.
Written by Anton Bitel on October 3rd, 2009 at 18:18
I think I know who the cameo is. If I am right I seriously cannot wait for this film now that it's actually been getting good reviews.
Written by doug1482 on October 3rd, 2009 at 19:56
Audience film of the year. The cameo is absolutely genius. Knew who it was but had completely forgotten before he turned up because I was enjoying myself too much. This will be double-billed with Shaun Of The Dead for the next 20 years. It’s not as complete a movie, but it matches it laugh for laugh. Enjoy
Written by Mattg on October 6th, 2009 at 23:21
Im going to see it tomorrow i do a movie blog and is the cameo by the person many movie websites have been saying ot is for ages? (i dont want to say if correct). This will be billed as american shaun of the dead, ive been following the movie since it was first pubished and reviews having saying its better than shaun of the dead (only american reviews though) but any british/irsh review have been saying its good as well but not the same as shaun of the dead, personally i think they are both completewly different movies but with one connection zombies!
cant wait to see it, just a shame up is out same weekend as that looks ok as well.
Written by @thepeoplesmovie on October 9th, 2009 at 10:55
hi mattg ive not seen zombieland but ive been following the movie via my own blog I know the cameo was meant to be patrick swayze is it bill murray?
Written by @thepeoplesmovie on October 9th, 2009 at 10:59
Its nowhere near as good as Shaun of the Dead. It's fun, but it's empty, and left me a little disappointed. There's no narrative to hold it all together so its just a collection of gags and set pieces (all of which are accompanied with a dull, repetitive rock score). There's nothing terribly wrong with it but it's never as much fun as it thinks it is. Has its moments mind and the cameo is inspired. Still one of the most entertaining films of the year, which says more about the quality of films this year, than the quality of the film itself.
Written by Shane on October 9th, 2009 at 17:04