Zombieland Review
Zombie movies have been one of the staples of horror cinema for years, known best through George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Horror and comedy rarely make a fine mix; one of the very few exceptions was the 2004 hit Shaun of the Dead. A new film enters that exclusive list, Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland. Tying in a proper balance of gore and laughs, this movie is blood-gushing roller coaster ride that you will not want to get off of.
The story follows ‘Columbus’ (Jesse Eisenberg), a soft spoken college student who is one of few survivors of what’s better known as Zombieland. Quickly he joins an unlikely group of people, like the zombie-killing machine Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), the seductive Wichita (Emma Stone) and the clever Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).
One of the stronger points of the film is not the comedic timing, but the overall pace. There is not a single dull moment that takes place in this movie, leaving you at the end of it wanting more. The story is predictable to a degree, but with the colorful characters and direction, that does not become much of a factor.
Jesse Eisenberg’s character Columbus is timid yet brave, and he plays it out to its full extent. Even though he’s already well-known for being the soft-spoken hero, his chemistry with the rest of his co-stars works perfectly. Woody Harrelson, taking on the role of the gun-toting Tallahassee, is the most enjoyable part of the film. He’s the crazy bad ass person you love to cheer for as he carries on his quest for the last Twinkie. Emma Stone sticks on as the sassy and strong female lead, bringing her own persona and proving that she is an actress to keep an eye on. Abigail Breslin continues to slowly blossom in her own acting abilities, showing she is well able to hold her own among some more seasoned actors.
Ruben Fleischer proves that he can take the lead, driving us head first into the terrifying alternative present. Though his style may not stand out to an excessive degree, he gets the job done and tells a well-rounded story. The cinematography from Michael Bonvillain worked on all levels, not only in his depiction of this bleak apocalyptic world but the connection of unity (or lack thereof) between the four main characters. The production design from Maher Ahmad was simple yet effective, being able to better showcase the utter chaos that ensues scene after scene after scene throughout the film.
What originally was an all-but-dead time for zombies has re-emerged through comedy with this film. Zombieland packs the laughter, action, and horror all into one movie that has been long overdue.
