by Merrill Barr and Dan Mecca
So what happens when you take guns, Woody Harrelson doing what he does best and Emma Stone with a shotgun? You get a little thing called Zombieland. Everything about this film is near perfect: the script, the story, the dialogue, the cinematography and the editing all a quintessential example of a take-no-prisoners horror/comedy and a better one than Edgar Wright’s comparable Shaun of the Dead.
One thing that really pushes this film is some solid, well-timed voice-over narration by Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland), who plays the film’s hero Columbus, as well as some really clever super-imposed titles throughout the film that help add color to the narration.
While this film is very much a comedy (warning: anyone who has a heart condition should not see this film because you will be laughing rather consistently), it throws surprise after surprise at the audience to effective results. There is a certain cameo in the film that works to perfection; far and away the best cameo in recent memory. There are plenty of treats to chew on in the film, first-time director Ruben Fleischer offering a precise style few filmmakers find in their entire career.
The cast’s chemistry is great. Eisenberg and Harrelson make a great team as do Stone and Abigail Breslin, who play cunning, and con-ing, sisters. When the four leads band together is where the film finds its heart, moving past its witty cynicisms (while never rising above them, which is a compliment) to create something the viewer can care about.
The real standout here is Harrelson, who is brilliant as Tallahasee, a nothing-to-lose cowboy with a penchant for weaponry and a longing for Twinkies. He plays the perfect red neck. Viewers will leave convinced a man like this would thrive in a zombie-infested world. Harrelson doesn’t need any one else to be funny, separating himself from the rest of the worthwhile talent on display.
The acting veteran’s biggest competition, performance-wise, is Emma Stone, the ultra-hot and ultra-talented (sorry Megan Fox) actress who has made her presence known in past years with supporting roles in Superbad and The House Bunny. Stone solidifies her worth in this film, proving herself a potential leading lady in the near future.
All this being said, one can’t have a zombie film without, of course, zombies. And these are some of the best zombies put on film since, well, Shaun of the Dead. You get them in every variation: young, old, short, tall, fat, skinny and everything in between. I know zombie fans aren’t always pleased with fast-moving zombies but this critic promises you you’ll not be disappointed here.
Offering everything from comedy to action and everything in between, Zombieland may just be the most fun you’ll have at the movies this year.
9 out of 10