Zombies zip past the road to nowhere

Rating: Null/10 (5 October 2009)

If you go into Zombieland with the idea that it is a Zombie film you will be disappointed. What Zombieland is at it's core is a Coming-of-age, road trip film ala 1980's. The trailers for the film are misleading and if they had marketed the film for what it is, it would have seemed inventive and not so run of the mill. Don't get me wrong, there are Zombies out there, but they are just part of the set-up for the movie, the real story revolved around an introverted young man who is forced by circumstance to abandon college and make his way home. He is sidetracked by an older man who leads him on an adventure where he meets a young woman whom he must ultimately save. I think that the writers must be familiar with Campbells "The Hero of a Thousand Faces", because like Lucas's "Star Wars" the characters come from those pages.
It is not a film without interest though. If you ever wondered what would become of those people that dress up as famous people on Hollywood Blvd., or what would happen to Eddie Van Halen or Bill Murry during a Zombie plague, you'll find your answer here. There are some terrible and unforgivable mistakes in this film though: The first is that it never really resolves itself, the film rambles on and comes very close to making a point then steps back and goes in another direction. Most importantly; the end of the film is a let down. It almost seems like it was an afterthought and the Director gives each character a chance to kill zombies and then drive off with a little voice over narration that is suppose to satisfy the time one spent invested in this film. It is truly annoying for anyone who has seen Dawn of the Dead and wondered what they would do in a Zombie plague; these characters choices make no sense at all. I won't talk about the acting outside of the fact that Woody can not cry to save his life without making it look phony (I though he was pulling the lead characters leg, but it turned out he was emoting). Finally, the lead character sets off on a quest that is discarded without any remorse. There is no way to feel for these characters, they are empty, fractured and one dimensional. Bill Murry who makes a brief appearance in the film, makes one wonder if he had lost a poker game to the producers. That segment of the film is the biggest "Why ?" of the film. There is no reason whatsoever for them to be at Bill Murry's house !
In the end it is not a good Zombie film, and it is a so-so road trip/coming-of-age film. It isn't worth $12 to see and it isn't worth $24 or so to buy on DVD. Wait and rent it and it may seem better than I make it out to be. I can certainly understand that this poor review will annoy some people who love zombies of any kind, as an avid played of L4D I understand; it is just that this film doesn't do it for me. Well..it could be worse...it could have been directed by Rob Zombie.