10/25/09 Review – Zombieland

Review: Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and a very special cameo appearance. Rated R for extreme language, extreme violence, and extreme gore.

I had the privilege of seeing this movie at a sneak preview before it opened in theaters. If you know me, you know that this is totally my kind of movie. I love horror movies, particularly zombie movies, I love campy gore, and I love to laugh. Check, check and check with Zombieland.

The premise: the world is overrun by flesh-eating zombies. Columbus is our narrator, so named because he hails from Columbus (other characters include Wichita, Little Rock, and Tallahassee). At the beginning of the film, Columbus gives us his “rules” for surviving in Zombieland. I knew instantly I was going to love this movie.

If you liked Planet Terror, Shaun of the Dead, and Kill Bill Volume 1, then take all of the best elements from those movies, smash them together, and you have Zombieland. It never takes itself seriously, and that’s what makes it great. It’s almost like playing a zombie video game – in fact, I’ll be surprised if a Zombieland game isn’t on the horizon. It should be.

Jesse Eisenberg is perfect as Columbus – he’s the new Michael Cera. And what can you say about Woody Harrelson? He was born to kill zombies. And keep your eyes peeled for one of the greatest cameo appearances of all time, in my opinion.

If you’re not a fan of horror movies, I’d say you shouldn’t be afraid of Zombieland. Is it gory? Absolutely, but it’s campy, funny gore, not squirm in your seat need to take a shower gore. Is it scary? There are a few jump out of your seat moments, but overall, it’s not really scary. More than anything, Zombieland is a comedy with a horror backdrop. A great way to spend an afternoon at the movies.

Overall rating: 4 cheeseburgers.

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