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

Transsiberian - not your ordinary choo-choo ride

Released - 2008! I'm actually reviewing a NEW movie currently in theatres.
Directed by Brad Anderson
Starring Emily Mortimer as Jessie and Woody Harrelson as her husband Roy with an appearance by Ben Kinglsey speaking Russian.

SYNOPSIS: Do-gooders Roy and Jessie are on their way home from doing charity work in China and decide to take the Trans-Siberian Railroad all the way from Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean to Moscow - a 6 day journey by train. On the way, the couple encounters some untrustworthy characters and becomes unwittingly drawn into danger.

REVIEW by CINEMAGIRL:

If you've ever spent a decent amount of time on a train, anywhere in the world, you know how foreign a feeling it is to be rocking across backwoods countryside and the gritty sides of towns with the only familiar surroundings being your traveling companions and the other passengers. It's kind of like traveling through space. Everything is a new frontier.

Traveling on the Trans-Siberian through thousands of miles of tundra, small towns and emptiness would certainly have a time capsule effect on the passengers. They only exist at this time, together, on this train, drinking vodka and smoking incessantly. In this environment Roy and Jessie meet their bunkmates Carlos and Abby, a mysterious young couple traveling the world together. Abby is quiet and moody but the Spaniard, Carlos, is friendly and outgoing and interested in learning more about the American travelers.

When Roy and Jessie become separated at a railroad station, Jessie is left alone on the train with Carlos and Abby. She learns more about them, to the point where she uncovers details it would be safer not to know. Eventually Roy is reunited with the distraught Jessie, who annoyingly will not open up to her husband and tell him the truth about what occurred in the 24 hours they were separated.

The couple continue on their journey and have some thrilling, terrifying misadventures in the corrupt "wild west" that is former-Soviet Russia before their train ride comes to an end. I would elaborate more but it would spoil the plot.

The description I read of this film before going to see it at 19th St. Theatre this weekend did not give me the impression that this story would be so action-packed, but it is. A good chunk of this film is suspenseful, parts of it delve into paranoia and fear like "Crime and Punishment" and the last hurrah feels like an action movie.

The cinematography is well done, showing us the open, frosty-white landscape of Siberia and the raucous drunken nights (and days) spent on a train with a host of travelers from Russia and beyond. However, there are no spectacular shots or techniques tested out in this film. It is simply good filming.

The actors do a good job portraying their characters, though Jessie's (Mortimer) lack of honesty at times was annoying. I think if most people were threatened with a deadly weapon they would consider spilling their guts.

Roy (Harrelson) was well acted, but the character seemed a little typical - nice Christian guy, likes trains like a little kid, talks a lot, is overly-friendly. It felt overboard at moments.

Overall, I would recommend renting this film. There's no need to rush out and see it in the theatre unless you're planning a Trans-Siberian journey yourself, comrades. The action was fun, the story had a nice twist and the scenery was great.

STORY: 7
ACTING: 7.5
LOOK: 8
Overall: 7.5 - Worth a rental.