Shuffling mindless droves, drooling, stumbling towards you with their vacuous black eyes – it's not easy going out to the cinema these days. Luckily, Zombieland is one of those films that?ll pick-up a cult following on DVD (and Blu-ray), much like its main inspiration Shaun of the Dead.
Shaun?s influence is as much admitted by the film?s creators, but this doesn't make the mistake of being a carbon copy. Firstly, it clearly has a budget that stretches past the few teabags that their UK friends had. And it also manages to supply a decent amount of zombie bludgeoning to go along with the ample helping of comedy.
Jesse Eisenberg is playing Michael Cera Columbus, whose MMORPG/wankathon lifestyle has left him with the neuroses akin to one of Woody Allen?s balls; leaving him surprisingly well-prepared for the zombie-apocalypse. It's not until he matches this intellect with the gun-toting Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), that the film finds its stride.
It soon turns into a road movie; the two go cross-country, making the odd pitstop to decapitate a brain-feeder or two, followed by the obligatory one-liner and then setting off to the next location. It's not the most complicated formula, but one that opens up the movie to avenues previously unexplored by the genre ? not that you believed such a thing was possible.
We may feel as if we've been hit around the head with the sub-genre more than the zombies featured in the films over the years, but Zombieland is shockingly refreshing. It's as if the writers and director took bites out of the horror, indie, comedy and splatter movies, chewed them all up, regurgitated, then formed something from the mush that doesn't spit in the face of any of the above. In fact, it’s pure fun.
Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin round off the family here, bringing different comedy elements and forging memorable relationships that genuinely spark. Come closing credits, this is a group that you can't wait to jump into another adventure with, actually warranting a sequel of even more epic proportions.
This is a theme-park of fun, blood and decapitation. It's no secret that it features one of the best cameos of recent years and the cast are clearly having a ball. Nothing here is particularly original or outstanding, but its energy is infectious.
In the closing statement, you'd probably expect some sort of witty play on words about strapping yourself in for a rollercoaster ride of excitement. But we simply won't do it. It's a clich? and, more importantly, Come Dine With Me is on. So; it's great, it has a theme park in it, and zombies turn up and get their faces hit with amusing items. There – I bet you weren't expecting that.
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