Indie Hollywood finally has an answer to the British classic Shaun of the Dead

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2010)

There just aren't enough movies about zombies nowadays. Now, vampires are the go-to horror clichés because of the emergence of the overrated, over-hyped, and overdiscussed Twilight. Now, a GOOD zombie movie comes along even rarer than a real-life zombie attack. Shaun of the Dead is the only exception to the norm, becoming one of the greatest horror-comedy hybrids in the history of film. Zombieland is a successful and entertaining American version of the cult classic. By combining action, comedy, horror, a bit of absurdity, and a small dosage of heart, Zombieland is America's first good zombie movie in an extremely long time. Its box office success can be attributed to the previous fact, by proving potential thrills not seen in the genre in over a decade. The most successful zombie movie in history deserves its major success.
The plot is extremely simple, as it doesn't dwell deep into why zombies have taken over and also because there aren't that many speaking characters throughout the flick. Columbus (Jesse Adam Eisenberg), one of the remaining survivors, runs into a trigger and violence-happy Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). They both team up together and go on a road trip towards anyplace that doesn't contain zombies---and contains twinkies. Along the way they run into a dangerous sister duo, a well-known actor (awesome cameo too), and of course zombies. Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Warnick, this movie contains plenty of action but also a lot of laughs and helpful tips. While Scary Movie started the entire how-to-survive-horror-movie shtick, Zombieland perfects it.
Woody Harrelson runs the show in terms of performance and scene-stealing moments, but the rest of the cast does an admirable job. Jesse Eisenberg's dry subtle style of humor resembles that of Michael Cera, but let's just hope he doesn't carry this personality to every movie (therefore suffering the Will Ferell Effect). Of course in every horror movie you need attractive ladies, but Emma Stone (of Superbad fame) isn't just a pretty face to look at as she adds a mix of toughness, beauty, and quiet vulnerability. Final note, Abigail Breslin is always fantastic, and it's amazing she isn't 16 yet but displays the maturity of a professional actress.
However, the best quality from the movie is the fantastic directing. Ruben Fliescher, a rather rookie director, directs this with plenty of flair and indie flavor. The slow-motion shots throughout the movie are some of the best you'll ever see, and they just add to the visual cleverness of Zombieland. The opening sequence is one of the best in recent years, as it immediately propels you into the mood and tone of the movie. Fliescher doesn't pull any punches as you will see plenty of blood, plenty of gore, and most of the carnage can be seen spewing right into the camera. The camera is never fixated, but is also never shaking to a point in which you can't see what is going on. The special effects are minimally used, which makes it much more effective. Sometimes, excellent make-up can provide better thrills and scares than the cop-out CGI.
What makes Zombieland work is that it's as much of a comedy than it is horror and that minimizes the tension and allows for the audience to enjoy the ride---granted there are indeed a few scares here and there. This movie never takes itself seriously, which makes it more enjoyable and more gleeful for the indie crowd. For anyone getting tired of the gruesome rated-R horror movies with little character development, little reason to care, and awful special effects, Zombieland will become your breath of fresh air.
Bottom Line: Zombieland is a brilliant action/comedy hybrid, and becomes the best film of its genre since Shaun of the Dead several years ago. Neglecting Shaun of the Dead, you have to go back to 1996 to find a superior horror comedy, which was the instant classic (and genre-changing) Scream. This movie has superb directing, great writing, a wonderful cast, plenty of action, and plenty of humor to look forward to. The only problem is that the movie is short and leaves you asking for much more. But this is the sign of a good movie, leaving you actually requesting a sequel.