Lots of laughs, snappy dialog, Harrelson at his best, what more can you want?

Rating: 7/10 (6 November 2009)

As our local cinema was celebrating its 250th Surprise Sneak Preview showing, people were expecting a special movie, fitting the occasion. I was a little disappointed when "Zombieland" came up, because I am not a great fan of zombie flicks. Even the praised "Shaun of the Dead" didn't manage to impress me very much.
But "Zombieland" turned out to be a genuine surprise. Jessie Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson make a great team on screen, playing two starkly contrasting characters. Eisenberg's over-anxious, geeky college kid "Columbus", who relies on a set of fixed rules in order to survive, is put against Harrelson's "Tallahassee", a rough but likable cowboy type with a maniac edge, who likes to kill zombies for fun.
Their chemistry works well and B-movies such as "Tremors" come to mind, where the banter and quarrel between main characters is at least as entertaining as their fight against evil low-budget monsters. Soon, con girls "Wichita" and "Little Rock" join the road trip, and an uncomplicated, straight-forward love story develops. The whole plot is extremely simple, so don't expect twists and turns. I guess that's what makes this flick so likable - its simplicity: just plain, old-fashioned fun. Lots of laughs, snappy dialog, Harrelson at his best, what more can you want? One word about the gore - yes there is quite a lot of blood and violence. Personally, even though I dislike excessive gore, I couldn't take it serious here. For me it was more part of the setting than anything else. Zombies, monsters or giant worms - who cares. Then again, a friend's girlfriend left the theater shortly after the opening credits, so be warned in case you don't appreciate the habitual use of double-barrel shotguns.