Zombieland
88 Minutes
By Chris Zimmerman
Zombies have been synonymous with horror movies for well over two decades but it wasn’t until “Shaun of the Dead” that they received a true comedic makeover. “Zombieland” follows in the same vein, meshing comedy with brutality, to create a movie that is wholly enjoyable.
After humanity is laid to waste by a mysterious virus, zombies rise up to take its place, making all survivors unwilling meal tickets. The hero of our story, “Columbus”, dubs the newly zombiefied America Zombieland. The reason for “Columbus’s” survival up till this point is attributed to a strict set of rules that he himself created based on his own personal experiences.
Rules such a “Cardio” and “Double-tap” are among the funniest examples and therefore the most memorable. The rules serve to explain how he managed to survive in a zombie inhabited world while others couldn’t. They also make perfect sense in a twisted sort of way. Rule #2: Beware of Bathrooms is also interesting to note.
While making his way through the zombie apocalypse toward his hometown, “Columbus” encounters a no-nonsense southerner with an arsenal made for killing zombies as well as a peculiar craving for twinkies. Rather than refer to each other by their actual names, the southerner insists refer to themselves by their destination name, hence his being named “Tallahassee”.
“Tallahassee” agrees to give “Columbus” a ride despite being a loner with a suitably tragic past. The two of them encounter sisters “Wichita” and “Little Rock” who continuously outwit the pair at every turn. Rather than face the hoards of zombies alone, the four reluctantly join forces in the hopes of assuring their mutual survival.
In truth, there is very little horror to be found in “Zombieland”. The movie is really more heavily geared toward comedy with some blood and gore mixed in. Though the zombies retain their menace, the humor stems from the four main characters and their interactions with one another. The actors deserve all the credit in the world for making these four characters relatable and a pleasure to watch.
The only real drawback to the film is its finale, in which our four heroes face down an army of zombies. What should have been a tense, nail biting scene that had the audience questioning the group's safety was instead reduced to nothing more than a one-sided action romp. Never once does it feel as though any of the four are in any real danger considering "Tallahassee" takes down more than half of the zombies himself, making this more of an excuse to show off how much of a bad-ass he really is.
“Zombieland” is comparable to a buddy comedy with carnage splattered throughout. While it may be more about the comedy than the horror, “Zombieland” is almost guaranteed to please fans of both.
Zombieland - B
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes
Commentary With Cast and Crew
In Search of Zombieland – A behind the scenes look at the making of Zombieland
Zombieland is Your Land – Creating the world of Zombieland
Visual Effects Progression Scenes
Theatrical Trailers
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