Anybody who takes even five minutes getting to know me will quickly find out that I have a morbid fascination/obsession with all things zombies whether they come in the form of video games, movies, Living Dead Dolls, or Max Brooks novels.
When the British parody, Shaun of the Dead, came out in theatres back in 2004, I knew the legion of zombie fanatics would be in for a real treat. Not only is British humor, more often than not, incredibly well-written, witty, and smart (Absolutely Fabulous, Coupling) but the film itself satirized just about every aspect of the zombie genre itself and it didn't have to resort to overrated fraternity humor that seems to run rampant through American comedies nowadays.
Dare I say that Zombieland is on par with the brilliance that was Shaun of the Dead? I do, indeed. Let me preface anything that I say about this film by first expressing the fact that I have not had this much fun at a screening or suffered uncontrollable fits of laughter in such a way than I did during this movie.
Zombieland begins with an unknown viral plague already having consumed most of civilization and turning the populace into ravenous cannibals. Enter the IBS suffering, World of Warcraft playing, over-analytical Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) who guages everything he does based on a set of self-inscribed, zombie survival rules that he has compiled in a small spiral notebook. Before long, he comes across fellow survivor and all-around redneck, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) whose relentless obsession with finding the world's last remaining supplies of Hostess Twinkies is a completely ridiculous subplot that one cannot help but laugh at. Sister scam artists, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), are soon thrown into the mix after jacking the vehicle and weapons belonging to our original "odd-couple" survivors that were previously mentioned. What follows from this point is some of the most clever writing and line delivery that I have seen in a comedy in ages.
The modern, pop culture references are plentiful which gives the film a more genuine and authentic feel (I mean as genuine and authentic as one could make a zombie movie feel). The characters never take themselves too seriously and remain true to who they were prior to the apocalypse (amusing flashbacks provide insight into their previous lives).
At the conclusion of the movie, I found myself wishing it to continue for at least another hour. I could have even sat there and rewatched it from the start if given the chance. The only other movie to get me in that type of mood, recently, was the latest Star Trek film. I am already eagerly anticipating the DVD release of Zombieland... moreso if said DVD will be a director's cut.
For those of you who are planning to see the movie when it is released nationwide in a few weeks, keep your eyes open for the Ghostbusters reenactment scene. It is comedic gold of epic proportions!
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