Zombieland: Official Site
Perhaps it doesn't have the social commentary of Romero's Living Dead films nor the all-out gumption of 28 Days (or Weeks) Later. Perhaps it never reaches the meth-like levels of Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake nor the smart-alecky dialoguing of the hilarious Shaun of the Dead—its closest relative and/or rival. Perhaps it is nothing more than the most popcorny of popcorn movies, and one should just take it at face value and roll with the undead mayhem, as it were. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
What Zombieland is, however, is a giddy (pardon the cliché, but it's so apropos here) rollercoaster ride of a movie. The premise is that pretty much the whole damn world has been turned into zombies via some sort of über mad cow disease catastrophe (Did PETA have something to do with this movie?), and the few remaining humans have to struggle their way cross country searching the wasteland for a safe haven, like the ultimate game of Frogger, with the cars and logging trucks replaced by flesh-eating zombies with the most voracious of appetites. The movie may not be of the caliber of many of its brethren, but what it lacks in depth of story, breadth of character, and height of fright, it makes up for in sheer audacious movie-going fun—a temptation even this hardened critic and all-around film snob cannot walk away from.
But let's face it: It is not the filmmaking style of Ruben Fleischer that makes Zombieland go go gadget all over the map, as it does on occasion. At best, his style is mere pipe dream David Fincher and at worst it’s pipe dream Zack Snyder. Indeed, it is Woody Harrelson that makes this movie go as far as it does. Harrelson plays Tallahassee (survivors are named after the places they are searching for), a renegade, kick-ass redneck good ol’ boy with a penchant for SUVs and shotguns. He revels in killing zombies and has an insatiable hunger, not for brains, but for Twinkies. He may be nothing more than a stereotypical façade—tough guy with a heart of gold kinda thing—but Harrelson seems to make it work the way he always makes his characters work, for good or for bad, through sheer country boy gumption.
Jesse Eisenberg, playing yet another virginal nerd with a quirky sense of humor (a role he is good at, but which he can play in his proverbial sleep at this point) is Columbus, the straight man to Harrelson's rabble rouser. One wishes the actor would do something different now and then, but I suppose when you hit on a schtick that works, you can afford to stick with it. Also around are Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as Witchita and Little Rock, a pair of scam artist sisters who hook up with this gang of zombie killers, all in search of the supposed safe haven of a California amusement park. Unfortunately, for our intrepid travelers, this ain't no Wally World and they are not the Griswolds. This park has zombies. Nope, no safe haven here, but did you really expect anything different from such a genre?
The real highlight comes in the surprise (??) cameo about midway through the movie. Though the actor (a fan favorite, for sure) is listed on IMDb as playing himself in the movie—and he has gotten a lot of press for his role—I won't reveal who it is here. Those of you unacquainted with the knowledge can be surprised (delightfully so) when it comes around. I just had to mention his role due to it being the best thing about the whole damned movie. That aside, Zombieland definitely does have a sense of giddiness about it—almost as if no one even cared if it were going to be taken seriously. I suppose it doesn't matter after all. Overall, quite fun and frivolous, it entertains on the most basic "Zombies!! Run for your lives!!" kind of level, and perhaps that is all one can ask for from a movie titled, well, Zombieland.
Kevyn Knox is a film historian and critic. His reviews can be read at www.thecinematheque.com. He is a regular contributor to Film International and Plume-Noire and is the regular film columnist for a local alternative monthly called The Burg. He is also the cinema director of Midtown Cinema in his hometown of Harrisburg, PA, and has sat on the jury of the Harrisburg Film Festival every year since 2004. He is currently working on his first book, tentatively titled, Wild Bill: The Life, Times & Films of William A. Wellman.