Zombieland (2009)

Dawn of the Dead. Resident Evil. I Am Legend. Shaun of the Dead.

Before vampires, werewolves and such were thrust onto our screens, one of the most common themes of film, and even TV in some cases, was zombies...and lots of them. Although there are many that approach this subject in a serious manner (Dawn of the Dead, I Am Legend), there are some which use a combination of panic, ass-kicking and comedy to turn getting eaten by zombies into a jolly good time.

Case in turn is Zombieland, directed by Ruben Fleischer, which combines the comedy of many modern comedy films (Superbad, etc), with the same, albeit not much, emotion as your typical rom-com (or zom-rom-com as Simon Pegg refers to Shaun of the Dead as and is rumoured to be the inspiration behind this film).

In the starring role is Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Columbus. Before watching the film I’d read that Jamie Bell and Taylor Lautner were in line to play the part and after watching the film, wasn’t sure how this would work as Eisenberg is more or less playing the same kind of character that he always does – the geeky, awkward guy who is always trying to get the girl and ends up being the unlikely hero. This isn’t a dig as his abilities as an actor are blatant from watching The Social Network (wait, isn’t that another geeky, awkward character...?), but it is apparent that Eisenberg, like many young actors of this generation has become stuck playing the same kind of character throughout much of his career. Columbus is a self-confessed geek, scaredy cat with too many fears to list (top one is clowns) and suffers from severe IBS, made worse by the unknown of Zombieland (and his worry of zombies and clowns in bathrooms).

The opening scene of the film which sees numerous zombies getting annilated by various weapons, is shot amazingly well, although due to the level of gore may not be for the squeamish. Would have been great if this kind of level was continued throughout the film, but this, I imagine, is due to budget and the actual killing/survival not being the main core of the film.

When we meet Columbus after the credits, his lack of socialisation and attitude is apparent – especially as he attempts to kill his first zombie (who happens to be the first girl in his dorm), known only as dorm number 408 (who was originally to be played by Emma Stone).

Zombieland doesn’t try to be overly emotional or look too much into the battle and struggle that survivors of a zombie attack would experience which to me, is one of the best things about this film. Instead, it focuses on how four different people have coped with the drastic change that has been inflicted upon them as a result of this catastrophe and in short, have developed their own, dysfunctional family unit as they realise that they’re previous families have now all been killed. Columbus, for one, has developed a series of rules that he follows in order to survive what he has dubbed Zombieland (1# cardio 2#Double tap 3#Beware of bathrooms and so on).

Early into the film we are introduced to Tallahassee, played by the brilliant Woody Harrelson. We are led to believe that Tallahassee has one main aim (to find a twinkee) but it becomes apparent as the film continues that the bold and reckless manner in which he’s adopted is to hide the pain of losing his puppy, which we soon come to realise isn’t a puppy at all, but is his toddler son. He exudes the kind of attitude and spunk that Columbus wants to have and his random outburst make this character a joy to watch.

Although unsure of Columbus at first, Tallahassee takes him under his wing as he continues with his search for a twinkee which finds them at a supermarket where they discover sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Rock chick Wichita is sexy, cool and no-nonsense so obviously, Columbus soon forms a pretty serious crush on her. Her little sister Little Rock, relies heavily on her older sibling but it is soon apparent that she, however young she may be, has adapted well and quickly to Zombieland.

Throughout much of the remainder of the film there is a tug of war between the two camps as the level of distrust the sisters have for others is noted as they try to leave the boys stranded on a number of occasions. It is only when they reach California and Tallahassee takes them to the top of the top of A-list celebrity houses (Bill Murray) that her guard begins to drop.

Following a fantastic cameo from Murray, whereby he has been taught how to expertly apply zombie make up (so he can continue with his day to day life), and an accidental gun-fire, the two elder teenagers come closer and Columbus’ feelings for the kick-ass Wichita are made obvious. Although there would be many viewers who may think that his geeky and almost wuss-like persona is not enough to charm Stone’s character, there is something about him which makes their connection almost believable.

Following a near miss with Columbus (who is ‘cock blocked’ by Tallahassee), Wichita and Little Rock leave, visiting a theme park before they head off. Unfortunately for them, the presence of the glowing fairground lights is a beacon to zombies nearby, making them a vulnerable and easy target. Weirdly, they opt to jump onto a ride (similar to Blackpool’s Pepsi Max ride) in a bid to escape the zombies. However, as the ride jumps up and down and lasts just a few minutes, maybe not the best getaway plan which reduces Little Rock to shoot the system, leaving them suspended in the air with no ammo.

Deciding to go opposite ways (Tallahassee looking for a twinkee still, Columbus looking to finally get a kiss from Wichita) the boys decide to separate. Clumsily attempting to get away on a motorcycle, Tallahassee can’t help but feel sorry for his geeky partner, opting to stick with him in order to get the girls who by now, are attracting quite a crowd at the ride.

Cue the final battle of the film where Tallahassee discovers he has finally developed a skill which is that he is fucking awesome at killing zombies. Columbus finally has his chance to be a hero, although must face a dreaded zombie clown and the day is saved.

If you’re a lover of Shaun of the Dead, this is definitely a film for you. Harrelson helps to make this film the fun-fest it is and helps to increase the awkwardness and anti-hero persona that Eisenberg depicts so well. For the boys, Stone is the eye candy you’re looking for (increased thanks to her darkened hair in the role), who, when armed with a gun, is someone you definitely wouldn’t mess with. The character of Little Rock I feel was developed in order to create some softness in the Wichita character but no offence to Breslin who is great in the film, but I feel that Stone’s character would be just as good, if not better, had she been a lone character who had maybe developed even further devious schemes in order to make it in Zombieland.

Definitely worth a watch and although the entire cast is sparse, it’s a great cast none the less.

*** 3 out of 5 stars