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Run, don't shamble, to hilarious 'Zombieland'
Movie will slay you with shotgun blasts of jokes.
Published online on Friday, Oct. 02, 2009
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"Shaun of the Dead," the wonderfully witty 2004 British import, is no longer king of zombie comedies. That title now belongs to "Zombieland," where the walking dead have never been funnier.
Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, whose previous claim to fame was the brutally bad TV series "The Joe Schmo Show," have found new comedy life. Their "Zombieland," the story of a handful of humans trying to survive on a planet of zombies, is a shotgun blast of jokes that not only satirizes the genre but finds time to take plenty of shots at pop culture.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), who thinks he's the last human on Earth, credits his survival to his natural fears of everything from the rags used to wipe tables in a restaurant to clowns.
But he's not alone. He joins up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) -- they agree to use only their hometowns as names so as not to get too close -- and head to a theme park just outside of Los Angeles that is supposed to be the only zombie-free spot left.
One of the best moments comes when the group stops along the way to L.A., which sets up a cameo by Bill Murray that is easily one of the funniest moments in his career.
Jesse Eisenberg, left, and Woody Harrelson are ever-vigilant in the walking-dead spoof "Zombieland."
MOVIE REVIEW"Zombieland," rated R for horror violence and language. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin. Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Running time: 1 hour, 23 minutes. Grade: A
If all you want is the carnage of zombie deaths, the film doesn't disappoint. But it's all the colorful characters that set this film apart from other zombie movies.
Eisenberg's character -- so full of phobias -- is the perfect everyman. He's pressed into being a hero, which goes against his long list of rules for survival. (Rule No. 1: Cardio. You need to be in shape to outrun zombies.)
Stone continues to build a great career of quirky characters, and Breslin is her usual dependable acting self.
It's Harrelson who steals the film with his colorful zombie-hating character. This is the best bad ass/funny character to hit films since Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken in "Escape from New York."
Wernick and Reese tried to launch "Zombieland" as a television series before taking the theatrical route.
Too bad that plan failed -- because when a project is this good, it would be a treat to see it every week.
TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.
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