Zombieland

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin.

Reviewed by Junior.

Doubling the genre of zombie parody films (held exclusively by Shaun of the Dead since 2004), Zombieland is a solid entry with a small, good cast. The film begins with one lone survivor, Columbus (Eisenberg), and his rules for survival, used repeatedly for humorous effect throughout, such as 1. Cardio, 2. Beware of Bathrooms, 3. Seatbelts, 4. Doubletap... all explained and proven very practical by our unlikely, somewhat nerdy protagonist.

Columbus soon hooks up with another survivor, Tallahassee (Harrelson), who revels in the chaos of Zombieland and has no such concerns for rules or other survivors in general. This diametrically opposed male duo soon meets up with two sisters, played by Stone and Breslin and our quartet, after initially clashing, set off on a road trip across a zombie-filled wasteland to California.

The film starts out with some very violent bits initially, which should be no surprise considering the genre, but soon settles into more of a lightweight buddy flick (x2) vibe. One can almost forget that the world has been overrun by the undead. Our heroes never seem to be in any real danger, which doesn't hurt the enjoyment of the film, but does give it a different flavor than you might expect. We learn the backstories of our motley group and they bond. I won't give away the very entertaining cameo appearance, all too short lived, when they arrive in Hollywood.

Of course, in the third act the movie does reach a slightly menacing crescendo, reaching a satisfying conclusion and setting up a sequel. Not, in my opinion, as funny, smart, or dark as Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland is nevertheless an entertaining romp with an appealing cast, solidly directed by first-timer Ruben Fleischer, at a perfect length of 88 minutes.

Story: 6

Acting: 7

Look: 7

Overall: 7