My Review: Zombieland (7/10)

¨This lady could have avoided becoming a human Happy Meal. Woulda... coulda... shoulda¨

(7/10) Zombieland counts with a very talented cast but it isn`t among the funniest movies of the year. Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are among the best young talents and if you include Woody Harrelson`s experience and a cameo from the extremely funny Bill Murray then you would expect a lot more from this movie. Don`t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film, it had some very funny moments and funny dialogues, but I was expecting much more from it because of all the hype coming from the critics. I wouldn`t include Zombieland in the horror genre, it isn`t scary and it doesn`t try to be either. It`s more of a satire on zombie movies like Shaun of the Dead was. Actually, first time director Ruben Fleischer said he was inspired to make this movie after watching Shaun of the Dead. It still has some action, gore, and good special effects, but the main ingredient in this film is the comedy and you wouldn`t expect less from these actors. When you have a zombie get killed by a falling piano from a building you know you can`t take the violence seriously. One of the things I enjoyed the most in this film was the dialogue. Taking a phrase from Harrelson`s character, Tallahassee, and rephrasing it I would say: ¨[this movie] totally blows! .... my mind. Just fun for the whole family.¨

Jesse Eisenberg, who recently was in another comedy - Adventureland, plays Columbus one of the few survivors in a world where pretty much everyone has turned into a zombie. He has survived because he lives by what he calls survival rules which are displayed throughout the movie while the action takes place. The film is narrated by Columbus. Eisenberg plays his ussual self and he reminds me a lot of Micheal Cera. Columbus meets Tallahassee (Woody Harelson), a fearless zombie killer who has a weakness for twinkies (or as they call them in Mexico: el submarino) and will get into danger just to get his hands on them. Columbus and Tallahassee form an unlikely duo and decide to take a road trip. During their trip they encounter Wichita (Emma Stone known for her role in Superbad) and her sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin, My Sister`s Keeper) who happen to be con artists and take their possesions. The four end up together despite having trust issues and not wanting to become involved with each other, which could serve as a satire on American society where you find neighbors trying to keep a distance from each other. The highlight of the movie is when they decide to visit a celebrity`s mansion and have an encounter with him, but I will not give any more of the movie away.

Overall this movie works as a comedy, it is a satire on zombie movies which have bombarded Hollywood over the recent years in the same way vampires are nowadays. Don`t go into this movie expecting horror, because this movie is 95% comedy. There are several funny lines and at less than 90 minutes the movie is short enough for you to enjoy it. The survival rules were pretty funny and the scene in which Columbus narrates his encounter with his hot neighbor who almost ends up eating him was also hilarious. Despite all this, I still think there were much funnier movies out this year like The Hangover, World`s Greatest Dad, Adventureland, and I Love You, Man. Anyways this movie still is a lot of fun and one you will enjoy. My favorite zomby movie (but I ain`t much of a zombie fan so it ain`t saying much). To end this review, I would like to quote one of the many funny lines in the film: ¨In those moments where you're not quite sure if the undead are really dead, dead, don't get all stingy with your bullets. I mean, one more clean shot to the head, and this lady could have avoided becoming a human Happy Meal. Woulda... coulda... shoulda.¨