MOVIE REVIEW: Zombieland

by Neil Karassik

In recent years, the zombie comedy has become a legitimate sub-genre. Since the release of 1985’s Return of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead is the reigning title-holder, but there have been many other memorable zombie efforts in those years, including the films of Sam Raimi (if supernatural demons qualify), Robert Rodriguez (if you include zombie-style vamps and other diseased, zombie-like creatures) and zombie maestro George A. Romero. But this newfound popularity isn't necessarily a good thing for zombies. These days, meaty zom-coms are drowned-out by lackluster re-makes and straight-to-video drivel like Zombie Strippers. Even Romero’s last couple zombie efforts -- particularly Survival of the Dead, which screened earlier this month at TIFF -- bordered on unwatchable.

In that context, it's exciting to see Zombieland break new ground on several fronts. The top-notch cast is led by Jesse Eisenberg (Michael Cera with better chops) and Woody Harrelson, playing an apocalyptic odd couple who provide thoroughly amusing banter even when the delightfully brisk script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick loses its comic punch and downshifts to humor of the crass variety. The film also features adequate performances from Abigail Breslin and Superbad hot-thing Emma Stone as a wily pair of scheming sisters. Best of all, Zombieland features the year's most memorable (extended) cameo, but I won't spoil that here.

First-time director Ruben Fleischer does a bang-up job creating slick visuals (with help from Cloverfield DP Michael Bonvillain), inventively incorporating tangible onscreen text that highlights Eisenberg’s OCD-inspired rules of survival.

Other visual attractions include inspired zombie kills that draw from classic zombie cinema, but still manage to be novel in their giddy, video game-like approach. This is emphasized by the use of onscreen info and a multitude of unconventional artillery. Anyone who’s played Dead Rising should enjoy the film’s jovial, imaginative experiments in goofy gore. The only things missing are a kill count and a life meter on the corner of the screen.

Frequently formulaic, unabashedly low-brow and not especially groundbreaking, Zombieland is not as creatively ambitious as Edgar Wright’s slightly over-praised debut, but it is guaranteed to satisfy genre buffs -- and possibly spook the uninitiated. Plus, unlike Wright’s film, it doesn’t fall victim to tonally jarring sentimentality.

It should also be mentioned that Zombieland is one of the first films to use fast zombies really effectively. Come on, you know you wanna see the kid from The Squid and the Whale massacre a speedy, undead clown.