Review of Zombieland (2009) by James K — 05 Sep 2016

Sometimes, comedy and horror don't mix, and the end result can be not that entertaining to watch. Trying to put in some humor in an otherwise dark film, kind of distracts the point being made: survival. However, these two very different genres did come together by a spot of luck in 2009's "Zombieland" to brighten our day. As well as give a nice parody on the whole zombie sub-genre of film, too. Here, we are given both comedy and horror that is presented in both a unique and fun way. While there are some minor problems that are presented, the film as a whole is smart, creative, and funny along the way. "Zombieland" is a nice little treat that combines comedy and horror together in a wild and zany ride. It's time to nut up or shut up.

The plot is very simple: zombies have taken over the United States of America, and it's all thanks to some contaminated meat. There's not that many surviving humans, and the few that are out there all have the same problem: they are going to die. Luckily, there are four survivors named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Together, they must learn to ultimately trust each other in this undead wasteland. And there's no Twinkie that is safe.

"Zombieland" has a lot of things going for it. For one thing, the story is both original as well as funny. This not only comes from the really creative and inventive ways the zombies are killed, but also from the improvisation of all our actors. In fact, most of the zombies that are presented here, along with the make up and special effects, have a comical nature to them. Which is interesting, because while watching the movie, one might get a feeling that a cartoon is being played out. And going back to our actors, under the direction of Ruben Fleischer , every one actor and actress deliver great performances with what they are given. Especially Harrelson, who more than definitely steals the show as the comical Tallahassee.

With the location of Georgia as our setting (and a brief moment in Los Angeles), the scenery looks like the movie could be filmed in any location, and every little attention to detail is near perfection, it makes one wonder what the world might come to if a zombie apocalypse could actually occur. Plus, the music by David Sardy, as well as the accompanying soundtrack, provide a good listening to the ears. "Zombieland" is a fun enjoyable horror/comedy that will leave the viewer entertained all the way through.

However, with that being said, that's not to say that there are some problems with the movie. And most of it comes from the pacing. The movie goes rather quickly, and that's not saying it's a bad thing, it's just that we jump from one moment to the next within a short period of time. And because of this quick nature, we do not have time for development on certain things. Like giving a flashback to when the whole zombie epidemic first started out; rather showing us than explaining to us at the beginning of the movie. Basically, if the pacing for this film had been slowed down a little, then the movie would have been perfect.

In conclusion, "Zombieland" is a good movie, despite having some issues with the pacing, and it definitely brings together both comedy and horror together rather nicely.