Zombie movies, while occasionally overplayed, offer so many exciting opportunities to comment on so many aspects of human nature that despite wading through mostly garbage, it is worth filtering out the bad to find the real gems. Consumerism, teamwork, the evils of humanity, and racism are only some of the subjects a zombie film can comment on. For Zombieland, the focus is on family, and how important a family (real or created) can be, especially in trying times.What may be most surprising about Zombieland, is that while the film is comedic in tone throughout, and inherently a zombie film - hence the title - the film features very little actual zombie action. Sure, there are a couple of great scenes, including a zombie-filled climax, and zombies do appear throughout, but they are certainly not more important than the characters. That is a rare find, considering the writing duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick had to juggle keeping the film funny and giving horror fans enough of the gruesome stuff to keep them happy. But back to the characters themselves. In the newly formed "United States of Zombieland," nobody has names, only the towns where they once came from. It prevents everyone from getting too close to each other, so when they do end up biting it (he...he...ummm, sorry for that pun) nobody is too hurt. And thus we meet Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Only one character is given an actual name, which is fair because it is a cameo of someone starring as themselves, but I won't spoil who, because it is one of the best parts in the movie.
The film is well directed, and I give the man behind the camera, Ruben Fleischer, credit for adding a creative and inventive style to the picture. Zombieland is bright and glossy, but only in a way to heighten the tone of the film. There may be terrible things happening in the world, but fun can still be had. And the decision to continually display the rules Columbus lives by on the screen as they are relevant is a nice touch as well. When running from a zombie, Cardio is key. When taking down a zombie, make sure to put an extra bullet in the head as insurance, thus the Double Tap. Also, be sure to avoid any bathroom you don't know for damn sure is safe and secure. And, as Tallahassee teaches young Columbus, you must remember to "enjoy the little things," because that may be the most important rule of all.
I give credit to Zombieland for keeping me both entertained and laughing during the entire run of the film. The tone was consistent from start to finish, which I maintain is especially important in comedies. And the characters, while the focus of the film, were given only the slightest bit of back story, so that we, as an audience, have the opportunity to feel what is like to live in this nameless world, where the past is meaningless and the future, and day-to-day survival, is the only thing essential. Zombieland, in the end, is a zombie film that has enough to say about the importance of family that it isn't simply a throwaway film, something entertaining but ultimately worthless. No, there is something more to the movie, there is meaning and commentary, and because of that it will likely stand the test of time and be included in the list of zombie films the next generation must see.
Genre - Comedy (3.5)
Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (3)
