For those of you out there who fear that the end of the world is nigh, take heart–Armageddon will no doubt have its own little pleasures. Case in point: Zombieland, the latest entry in the celebrated zombie comedy sub-genre, bringing the joy back to zombie plague survival. Set about 2 months after a particularly virulent strain of Mad Cow Disease has spread to the human race, it follows a small group of uninfected travelers on a road trip from Texas to California. Survivors in this world call each other by the names of the cities they hope to reach. We first meet Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a neurotic phobia-ridden geek who has compiled a list of over 30 rules to live by in Zombieland (Rule #1: Cardio, Rule #31: Check the Back Seat, etc.), several of which bear repetition (in brilliant comedic fashion) as the story progresses.
He joins up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a survivor with a more aggressive and playful attitude towards the zombie populace. He has two main goals: to locate and consume the last stockpile of Twinkies on Earth (as he reminds us, they do in fact have an expiration date) and to win the coveted status of Zombie Killer of the Week. To that end he has collected an arsenal of inventive zombie-killing tools, from various gardening implements to a banjo. Columbus and Tallahassee eventually encounter Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin), con artist sisters who are distrustful of anyone but each other. They all end up on a quest to reach the rumored safe-zone at Pacific Playland, a famous amusement park outside of L.A. Along the way they meet Zombieland‘s Secret Celebrity Cameo (don’t tell anyone who it is, dammit!).
I’m a little surprised that I’ve spent so much time outlining the characters in a zombie movie, but Zombieland is in fact an especially character-driven comedy, and its cast is marvelous. Its premise is not particularly unique–it essentially follows the same plot as Danny Boyle‘s 28 Days Later. Comparisons will naturally be made with Shaun of the Dead as well. And yes, I know that the zombies of Zombieland are not technically zombies in the literal sense (you see, “zombie” is only supposed to denote a re-animated corpse that craves the flesh of the living). But you’ll still want to aim for the head, and don’t be stingy with your bullets (see Rule #2).
After all, what is one of the main reasons we fantasize so much about zombies? Surely it must be our secret desire to point a large shotgun at someone’s head without any guilt or repercussions. Let’s never forget Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
Action/Comedy/Horror
Rated R
DVD Release Date: 2/2/10
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