Nice Buddy/Zombie Pic

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2009)

Zombieland (2009)
*** (out of 4)
Nice horror/comedy has the world overtaken with zombies and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) trying to find a safe harbor. It's funny that this entire movie is built around zombies yet they're not the best thing about the film nor are they really the most important. I think we get a few nice jokes built around the zombies like the overweight people being the first to die during the outbreak simply because they couldn't run fast enough. We even get a few more funny jokes about the "rules" of trying to stay alive. For me, however, the best part of the film was the actual road picture and the relationship between the two men and eventually the sisters (Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) who join them. Both sides are so different that you can't help but have a wonderful time with them and this is especially true of the men. They're meeting and eventual getting to know one another leads to plenty of wonderful scenes including an instant classic where a Hostess truck is crashed off the road and Harrelson goes to investigate in hopes of finding a certain tasty treat. Another highlight happens when we get Eisenberg's flashback to the girl next door finally taking note of him. What really makes the film work are the performances with Harrelson showing why he's such a great comic talent whenever given the proper screenplays. He hilarious here and delivers his finest work in many years. Eisenberg is equally good and his scenes with Stone are very charming and cute. There's also countless gore for the horror fans but it's all done in a rather tasteful manor, or at least as tasteful as it can get. I do feel the film begins to drag a bit but that's just a minor issue to an otherwise fun movie. The funniest bit has to do with a cameo that I won't ruin for those who don't know about it. The payoff is perhaps the biggest laugh I've had in many, many years.