Zombieland

Review by:  Alex Florez Date: 10.02.2009

Rating:

With a jaunty title like Zombieland, you know you’re in for a senseless horror comedy. Now that’s just fine, but the surprise here is that it’s more of a buddy road movie with a teen romance sandwiched in between. Come to think of it, this film attempts to do the nearly impossible - get loyal zombie fans and mainstream folk to share the same theater.

For those seeking an alternative to Michael Moore’s latest leftist documentary this weekend, Zombieland is as bipartisan as it gets.  It has a little something in it for everyone.

Here’s the premise: two men have somehow found a way to survive a world overrun by walking corpses. Not surprisingly, Jesse Eisenberg (The Jheri-curled version of Michael Cera) plays the cowardly, anti-social one with a smart mouth. The other guy, the AK-toting, zombie-slaying bad ass is gladly played by Woody Harrelson. 

Along the way, these two join forces with a pair of sharp-witted, self-serving sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) that can certainly hold their own. These four are then forced to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies.

As a horror film, Zombieland won’t scare you. It’s much too glossy and stylized for that.  As a comedy, it packs enough one-liners to keep you from yawning. And as a teen romance, the movie sniffs around the cheese. Lucky for viewers however, the chemistry between the actors is radiant.  The fun they had while making this film is evident and their energy is contagious. Notwithstanding, first time director Ruben Fleischer knows how cliched these movies can be and makes sure to surprise you along the way to make it as memorable as possible.