Zombieland Review

Zombieland is yet another zombie film (obviously), a genre that has been done almost to death this past decade. But Zombieland is a fantastic dark comedy, expertly acted and scripted and never outstays its welcome, unlike its zombies!

We follow the film's main character Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), who acts with expert comedic timing and dryness, as he tells the audience about his rules of surviving a zombie apocalypse and travels across America with his new companions to find his parents, the last Twinkie and an amusement park.

All the actors are on top form. Woody Harrelson plays with ease the role of Tallahassee, whose craziness is hilarious, as is his obsession with finding the last Twinkie bar in the universe, even if it means putting himself in danger. But Harrelson is also completely on beat in showing the more sensitive sides to his character in a film which isn't just all about laughs.

The sisters Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) play off each other well and it's always fun to see them get one over on the helpless Columbus and Tallahassee as expert con artists who gradually grow close to the others and form a group to travel America together.

The film is shot really well, from the flashbacks to the scenes depicting Columbus' rules for surviving, to the more serious scenes where Tallahassee takes on a zombie horde with an electrifying music score that adds to the tension and laughter whenever it is needed. It is all edited together seamlessly that the 90 minute run time flies by resulting one fantastically entertaining treat you'll want to watch again, if just to see one hilarious cameo by a very famous actor. Unlike the similar Shaun of The Dead, which whilst a zombie classic started to drag on in its 2nd half, Zombie is paced just right.

 One problem with the film is that it's predictable. Although it has its quirks and shows us the rules of surviving, you've seen the basics all before in other zombie films but without the real darkness or any scares, at all, that they show. This is strictly a comedy with a couple tense/emotional moments.

Zombieland is definitely a new Zombie classic with its hilarious dark and slapstick humour, its fine acting and fun script. If zombie films keep coming out like this and the likes of 28 Days/Weeks Later, I am Legend and Shuan of the Dead, I'll definitely be looking forward to them, but lets hope it doesn't start to get stagnant.

Rating: B