Zombieland

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray, Amber Heard
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: In a world overrun by zombies, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived by following a strict set of rules. He breaks his rules when he teams up with loose cannon Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

Review:

Tim: Whether I should or not, I absolutely loved Zombieland. It is one of those movies that is endlessly fun, incredibly funny, and just a thoroughly enjoyable movie from start to finish. I watch a great deal of movies, and every one is a bit different. Some are amazing but hard to work to watch. Others, like Zombieland, are amazing, but impossibly easy to watch. It was just a pure joy to watch this movie- it is different, intelligent, and hilarious. I loved this movie.

Zombie movies are typically a difficult genre to pull off, although there have been some very good ones in the last few years. However, I am not sure there has been a better one than Zombieland. I just love everything about this movie. I love the zombie-surviving rules (and how they show up throughout the movie). I love the one-liners, the intelligent yet subtle humor, and the easygoing, fun atmosphere of the entire film. I also love that the characters go by the names of the city they are traveling to, rather than their actual names.

The cast, however, stand out from everything else. Jesse Eisenberg- a guy I think I should like but don't always- is very impressive. He is really, really funny and has enough of that everyman quality that it is very difficult not to like him. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. I also loved Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee. He just fully embraces the role and manages to be over-the-top, but in a good way (an extraordinarily hard thing to do). Harrelson was given a juicy, impressive role, and makes it truly unforgettable. Tallahassee is definitely an instantly classic character. Harrelson and Eisenberg are terrific together, and I loved their on-screen chemistry. The rest of the cast is impressive, as well. I really, really liked Emma Stone in this movie. This may be the best performance of her career. She was terrific throughout. I also liked Abigail Breslin, mostly because she is the mostly unlikely actress for a role like this, but she works very well. She was believable as Stone's sister and an important part of this film. I loved this movie because Harrelson, Eisenberg, Stone, and Breslin were all incredible together. I loved each of them, and I loved them more together.

One of the best indicators of the strength of a movie is the feeling you have at the end. As Zombieland ended, I desperately wanted more. I didn't want to let go of the characters or the story. It is rare that a movie leaves you desperate for more- but that is what this film did.

Zombieland is an unexpected but incredible film. I was blown away by how amazing it was. I understand that this isn't a perfect movie. Setting the climactic scene of a movie at an amusement park is never a good idea (see Beverly Hills Cop III, Bird on a Wire, etc) and I think the ending could have been slightly better here. However, I'm not going to nitpick, because I was so thoroughly entertained throughout this movie. This is one of the most fun times I have had at the movies in a long time, and I savored every minute. This is a terrific movie.

* Update- I watched Zombieland for the third time a decade after its release. The movie really does hold up, especially since the cast- Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin have continued to enjoy strong success in Hollywood since this film was released. Watching it now, you're struck even more so by how incredible it was that the movie united these four together. This is still an enjoyable, funny, entertaining film. I have a great time watching it and I'm just happy from start to finish. It's funny, I didn't love the Bill Murray scene when I first watched it (I didn't even comment on it in my original review). That's one scene that I think has gotten funnier over time- or maybe I just learned to appreciate it even more. I really liked it on this third viewing. As a whole, my original review still rings true. Zombieland is a great movie. I'm so excited that they (shockingly) are doing a sequel later this year- I hope it's good, because a movie this incredible deserves a great sequel.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Shaun of the Dead, Adventureland, Defendor, Tremors