REVIEW: Zombieland

America is no longer the America we know after having fallen victim to a zombie apocalypse. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a college student, is on his way to Columbus, Ohio in search of his parents. After losing his car in an accident caused by a zombie attack, Columbus encounters Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and the two decide to travel together. They later meet two sisters, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). These sisters con Columbus and Tallahassee out of their weapons and steal Tallahassee's truck in the process. But, after meeting the sisters again and nearly having their newly acquired vehicle stolen a second time, Columbus proposes a truce and that the four of them travel together. The girls are headed for Pacific Playland, an amusement park in Los Angeles that is believed to be free of zombies, and Columbus and Tallahassee decide to stick around. All this while following a set of rules in order to survive the zombie infestation.

Zombieland is one of those movies that doesn't take itself seriously, and rightly so. Zombieland is majorly about the humor. Rather than going for scares and shock value, it attempts to make its audience laugh instead, all while still giving its audience the gory violence and gross-out moments they are looking for. In that regard, what really makes the film work is its sharp, witty script (though peppered with profanity). None of the characters refer to each other by name either, as they instead use a place that relates to each particular person. The film also prides itself on its pop culture references, clever phrasing and other choices of words (like Tallahassee's catch phrase "It's time to nut up, or shut up"), and excellent comedic timing. Plus, the running gag of Columbus' rules for survival always provide a laugh as the rules pop up on screen whenever followed or mentioned. The opening credits sequence also brilliantly uses slow motion to capture bring out them humor that can be found in the midst of panic. In addition, hand-in-hand with the all of the wacky pop culture references is one of the most random and gut-busting celebrity cameos you will ever encounter. Apparently most of this cameo was improvised too, making it all the more amusing.

The film is also surprisingly more character-driven than one might expect. Though the characters are far from complex, much of the film is centered upon the four survivors and their interactions, than their encounters with the zombies themselves. The moments in which they are driving together or just plain goofing off are some of the most enjoyable moments of Zomebieland. Plus, there is an undercurrent of warmth hidden beneath all the comedy and bloody violence throughout the entire film, as touching moments abound as the four traveler's relationships grow. There are even little things like Tallahassee's fixation on Twinkies, or Columbus always wanting to brush hair over a girl's ear that provide a good amount of amusing (and also touching) moments. Tallahassee's expression when he finally gets to savor his long sought-after Twinkie is worth the price of admission alone.

Though Zombieland does not revel in its violence, it does have plenty of fun with it. For one, the zombies themselves are not your usual zombies. Rather than being undead, they are simply the victims of a disease. They also move relatively quickly for zombies and their movements are erratic, which differs a bit from the more traditional zombies that lumber around clumsily. They are not particularly scary either (which seems to be the intention), but they are still quite disturbing to look at. The filmmakers also came up with many creative ways to kill the zombies, such as the "Zombie Kill of the Week" seen in the promotional television spots and trailers, bludgeoning them to death with a banjo, or even riding a roller coaster and blasting away. The violence is a bit excessive at times when it comes to the blood and gore, and also when a zombie is eating its victim, but never to the point of being overly disturbing.

Zombieland is proof that there are still plenty of creative things that can be done with the zombie subgenre. Though essentially plotless, the film is nearly perfectly paced, visually polished and stylish, hilariously self-aware, charming, and even touching at times. It is a deliciously funny movie that also offers plenty of violence for mainstream audiences, making for great popcorn entertainment. The ending also leaves things wide open for a potential sequel, which promising new director Ruben Fleischer has already expressed interest in filming in 3-D. Such a sequel would be welcomed with open arms, and plenty of Twinkies.

(out of 5)