While everyone is busy throwing their panties, sharpening their fangs and causing a ruckus about New Moon, there’s another monster movie worthy of your affection. Thankfully this one doesn’t focus on the sex appeal of an ethnic temptation werewolf and a broody vampire, but rather a zombie apocalypse.
Ahhh, zombies, though they might be an excellent source or eye-gouging, flesh-tearing horror, Shaun Of The Dead taught us the undead can also be bloody funny (pun intended). But like Paris Hilton and a recording studio, horror and comedy can be toxic mix unless executed properly. Zombieland follows a rag-tag group who are trying to survive in a world overrun by zombies. There’s the central character Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg in another amicable turn after Adventureland, Whicta (Emma Stone), Tallahasse (Woody Harrelson) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). While everyone cast is decent, Harrelson owns this movie as the Twinkie-addicted, bad ass that kills zombies with literally everything from a chainsaw to a banjo. Eisenberg’s wry, Michael Cera-esque comedic timing hits all the right spots and along with Harrelson, they make a highly watchable onscreen duo. There’s also an unforgettable cameo from Bill Murray, of which I can’t go in to too much detail without spoiling, but lets just say he’s awesome.
You’ll be laughing from the opening credits onwards and there’s plenty of gore here to satisfy horror fans and aficionados of the zombie sub genre. Director Ruben Fleischer has mad a slick and stylish film, utilising slow motion for some of the chase and attack scenes with impressive results. When Eisenberg explains the rules for surviving Zombieland (“the first rule of zombieland: cardio. When the zombie outbreak first hit, the first to go, for obvious reasons... were the fatties”) the rule appears in text on screen at some of the most unexpected moments, but rather than annoy it adds to what is a ridiculously hilarious ride. With a hasty running time, Zombieland is some of the most fun I’ve had in a cinema this year and I can’t fault it.