Zombieland

Don't let the title, or the fact that the walking dead play a big part in the plot, fool you. Zombieland is a comedy, and a very funny one at that. Some horror films (like the recent Drag Me to Hell and Jennifer's Body) have tried to combine thrills with laughs, and ended up disappointing me. Here is a movie that gets the right idea - Play up the absurdity and the humor first and foremost, with plenty of gore to satisfy the shock junkies. It all adds up to one of the more entertaining comedies of the year.

The movie is set in an alternate present, where a mysterious disease has turned most of the world's population into flesh-eating zombies. The few scattered survivors search the land for ways to combat the zombies, and for fellow people not affected with the disease. They all have different methods of surviving, and our young hero "Columbus" (Jesse Eisenberg) gives us his guidelines for living in "Zombieland" in a funny opening sequence that acts like an educational survivor's guide to living through a zombie apocalypse. He calls himself Columbus, because that's the city he hails from. It's never a good idea to get too personal with other people, as you never know who to trust when everyone's looking out for themselves, so he never reveals his real name. Early in the film, he encounters a fellow survivor and zombie hunter named "Tallahassee" (Woody Harrelson, in his best performance in years). He's a gun-toting redneck who lives for two things - Killing zombies in the most spectacular ways he knows how, and searching out Twinkie snack cakes, which have become a rare edible luxury in this post-apocalyptic world.

The two bond on the open road as they travel together. Columbus wants to make it back to his home town, to see if his parents are still alive, while Tallahassee seems to be running from a past he'd like to forget. Along the way, they're joined up by a pair of con artist sisters, "Wichita" (Emma Stone) and "Little Rock" (Abigail Breslin). They're all searching for a promised land, where the zombie invasion has not yet spread. The sisters believe it to be a theme park in California, so they drive cross country, hoping to find a haven. There are a lot of big laughs during their journey, especially when they arrive in Hollywood, which I will not reveal here. What I will say is that it gives Bill Murray his strongest comic work in a very long time, and is one of the best cameos of the year.

Zombieland is almost inspired in its lunacy. Although there is plenty of gore and kills to be found, it doesn't take itself seriously for a second. The movie is good-natured, a little twisted from time to time, and always a lot of fun. I liked the easy and casual nature of the dialogue and the humor. We get the sense that the four lead characters have been living amongst zombies for a while now, so not a whole lot gets to them anymore. Having the living dead break in while you're using a public bathroom stall is an everyday annoyance. The screenplay by Rhett Reese (Monsters Inc.) and Paul Wernick has a knowing sense of humor that is never broad or draws attention to itself. The dialogue is sharp and frequently witty. The scene where the heroes take turns driving the vehicle to their destination, and just talk about random things, is a particular comic highlight, and an example of how the movie finds humor in everyday little things.

And yet, this isn't just a funny movie. It's effective on an entirely different and surprising level. I found myself caring about the characters as the film went on. While they're not exactly three dimensional characters, they've each been given a lot of personality, which is brought out wonderfully by the cast. Harrelson seems to be having the time of his life, Eisenberg just might give Michael Cera a run for his money in the deadpan department after Adventureland and now this, and Stone and Breslin create a realistic sisterly bond, while bonding with the men in different ways. When the movie reached its impressive and blood-soaked climax at the amusement park, I actually found myself worried for some of the characters. That's a rare thing for a movie, let alone a comedy.

For all of its screwball antics and big laughs, Zombieland is really a very dark movie when you think about it. Even when things work out, the world's still a lifeless wasteland, and humanity's pretty much doomed. It's a credit that despite all this, the movie still leaves us walking out smiling. It sounds weird, I know, but see this movie and you'll understand. Oh, and make sure you stick all the way through the end credits for something very rare indeed - an alternate take of a scene that is actually funny and worth sitting through the credits for.

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