‘Zombieland’ is the Funniest Film of the Year (****)

Woody Harrelson in Zombieland

Zombieland is a clever mix of horror and comedy that should please fans of both genres. Featuring a career-defining lead role by Woody Harrelson, Zombieland is the funniest film of the year.

Set in a world overrun by zombies, the film’s protagonist is Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a nebbish young man who nonetheless survives thanks to an intricate set of survival rules. These rules are explained at the outset of the movie by Columbus, who also serves as the film’s narrator, and are easily the funniest set of cinema rules since Wedding Crashers. The on-screen display of these rules is well done as they interact with physical elements in the film. The film’s incredible opening credits sequence also features interaction with the film world, all set to Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

Soon Columbus meets Tallahassee (Harrelson) a Southern good-old boy on a mission of solitary survival and on a quest to once again taste a Twinkie. In a world where survival means trusting noone, the odd-couple soon form an uneasy alliance. The men bond over zombie kills but then encounter two sisters, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Can the two men trust the two seemingly innocent sisters? Would it surprise you if I said no?

Eisenberg’s screen personas have often been compared to Michael Cera; it’s an apt comparison. In contrast to Eisenberg’s earlier 2009 role in Adventureland, his character follows the advice of Tallahassee to “nut up or shut up” and ultimately wins over the audience in the way his earlier character could not (that said, like Cera, Eisenberg needs to move on from playing virgins…). Harrelson is hilarious and at times touching in a role he was born to play. He’s both gruff and sympathetic, and having effective and funny dialogue to deliver makes this a step up from recent roles in films like Semi-Pro and Management. Though Breslin’s role is underwritten, Stone’s is more nuanced. She handles the tricky role as the vulnerable bad-ass with aplomb.

Emma Stone in Zombieland

Zombieland moves along at a brisk pace but has effective character setup flashbacks that illustrate a pre-zombie world. These scenes remind us of the jeopardy that the characters find themselves in, and illustrate the film’s ultimate message of humanity. This (somewhat) deeper meaning does raise this film from just a fun romp to a film that might sit with you for days or even weeks. What would you do if zombies took over the world?

In addition to main stars who are familiar to Frat Pack audiences, there are cameos by Mike White (School of Rock) and Amber Heard (Pineapple Express) that are lots of fun. In addition, there’s an effective, funny, and ultimately touching cameo from a comedy legend with a film connection to one of the film’s stars. We won’t spoil the name of the actor but if you’re a fan a film cameos be sure to add this one to the hall of fame.

Running a brisk 82 minutes, Zombieland is loads of fun and easily the most consistently funny film of the year. While it may not be a better film than I Love You, Man or even Funny People, the laughs and flat our audience pleasing fun make Zombieland a great time at the movies.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm and is filed under Reviews, Woody Harrelson, Zombieland. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.