Zombieland (2009)

Do you watch zombie movies for survival tips or for fun? In October 2009, we got a zombie film that had both.

Directing this 88 minute comedy/horror is Ruben Fleischer.

Trying not to get bit is: Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee, Emma Stone as Wichita, Abigail Breslin as Little Rock, Derek Graf as Clown Zombie and Bill Murray as Himself.

The world has pretty much ended, with the only thing left being zombies… and a guy named Columbus. The reason he’s survived this long is because of the rules he’s come up with for surviving this new world he calls Zombieland. Surprisingly, on his way back home to see if his parents have survived, Columbus runs into Tallahassee, a man who believes in enjoying the simple things in life and cutting loose every now and then, while killing some zombies along the way. Relieved to see another living person, Columbus talks Tallahassee into giving him a ride. This newly formed duo of utter order and chaos thought the worst things left in the world to look out for were the zombies. That all changed when they met Wichita and Little Rock.

Now, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick had this zombie idea that they played around with for about four years. Then in 2005 they put their idea into a script for a television show. Well, the show didn’t happen, but lucky for us it was flipped into a movie instead.

The storyline is pretty simple. You have a world of zombies… and a few survivors. Now what makes this one so great is the way they tell the story. You have one individual narrating his thoughts during the film, and the rules that he came up with for surviving a land of zombies. All the while, watching the trouble/fun everyone has as the story unfolds. The script is full of humor and wit, and another thing that makes this one so funny is the way the rules are delivered, it’s in a comical way but put into the scenery, making everything flow together beautifully.

The playthrough was really good, and it has a great pace. Even in it’s few slow spots the humor keeps it more than interesting and entertaining. The cast does an awesome job and the chemistry between everyone was great. After watching it I think you’ll see why this has become one of my favorite Harrelson films. Murray’s surprise pop in was the topper on the cake of an already great film.

The special effects that Tony Gardner brings to the film are cool and the zombies look great. The work Michael Bonvillain does with the cinematography not only catches some awesome scenes but sometimes even pulls out the right angles to make you feel like you’re there. All told, this movie just has greatness from beginning to end, top to bottom. Then again, with a budget of 23.6 million, how could you not do something extremely cool.