A teen comedy disguised as a "zombie" movie that has more bore and snore than gore.

Rating: 2/10 (2 October 2009)

Zombieland is a mediocre movie filled with flat humor and dialog that sounds as if it was written by an 8th grader. The only thing that saves this movie from being a straight out stinker is Woody Harrelson but other than that it's just a dud. I didn't care for the protagonist, the so called "zombies", the silly "rules" or the two female characters. They're so annoying that I was wishing that the infected would kill them. The filmmakers tried too hard to be funny and when that happens it always end up pear shaped. I was expecting something entertaining, maybe in the vein of Brain-Dead or Shaun of the Dead. Perhaps I was asking too much. I have seen DTV movies that work a lot better than this. I just wasn't buying into anything the director was selling. The movie didn't work as either a horror film or a comedy.
The dialog was bad. I mean an adolescent must have wrote it. I didn't care for the pop culture references and the "hipness" of it. The overuse of movie titles, rehashing dumb clichés and the forcefulness of the situations was too clunky for me. The movie was obviously aimed for the late teen crowd because they're the only ones who will buy into this mediocre film and will think it's "cool". Real fans of zombie movies will not be amused by it. What I really can't stand are the "zombies". These are not the classic kind but the ones from Demons or 28 Days Later. They can run (I guess being infected gives you superhuman endurance and speed) and leap obstacles in a single bound.
The direction was flat. I didn't like the way the scenes flowed or the way the action moved along. One minutes it's like a music video and the next it plods around slooowly.... The big action set pieces seem like a pastiche of action movies. I know logic has no place in a horror movie but Wichita gets off like two dozen rounds out of her shotgun but doesn't reload once and when she's in a real pinch, she's OUT of shells. Another scene that sticks out is when Tallahassee is shooting through the grate that surrounds that carny stand. There is no way he can shoot out through it without killing or severely maiming himself.
Last but not least is the big "cameo". It's no surprise if you have seen the credit list. Bill Murray playing himself hiding out in his "mansion" out in Beverly Hills. Bill hasn't had a hit in years and I doubt he's still living the life (maybe the "high" life) like the way he did during his heyday in the 80's. He appears "wearing" zombie makeup and blending in with the rest of the dead. But truth be told if you read the celebrity blogs, he looks like that after hanging out at one frat party too many (that's another story). He really does play himself, hung over and shuffling around in a daze.
Overall, I wouldn't pay to watch this movie. Maybe when it hits CineMax in a few months or when you can rent it for a dollar at RedBox. If you love Shaun of the Dead (Yes I am comparing it to this movie because that's how the studio is marketing it) then you will not care for this one. But if you love the teen comedy crap that Hollywood seems to be churning out then you'll definitely want to see it. Light on gore but heavy on bore and snore.