A nerd, zombie-hating-twinkie loving adult, and con-artist girls join forces to kill the undead.

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2016)

Zombies are a catchy phenomenon. Dating back to Night of the Living Dead (1968), there has been a sense of fear associated with the walking undead. Although there have been films before its time that have had comic relief such as Shaun of the Dead (2004), this film sets a new bar for comedy while killing the flesh eating creatures. Zombieland has a unique cast whose personalities conflict with each other throughout the film. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a nerdy guy, who has a fear of two things- Zombies, and Clowns. Columbus is a loner who lives by a set of zombie survival rules which keeps him alive. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a man who hates zombies but loves killing them by various creative means and has no filter when he speaks and endless one-liners. Tallahassee has one goal, to find the snack of his dreams, Twinkies. The pair comes across two con-artist sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who survive by using their innocence as a weapon and plan to go to an amusement park in Los Angeles with hopes of it being a sanctuary. The theme of the film is surviving the zombie apocalypse using different sets of rules and techniques and realizing that being alone sucks. The group comes together after several incidents of distrust and deception, realizing that they need each other to survive. During their endeavors, the group comes across a comedic icon, Bill Murray, in his residence who ultimately dies because of his twisted sense of humor. Zombieland uses a multitude of techniques to keep the viewer engaged. Two of the most notable are the use of sound effects and dialogue, as well as the use of characterization through contrast. The film starts off and continues throughout the film with narration from Columbus explaining his rules of survival and providing additional information of the other characters and the events that take place. The narration throughout the film was a strong point of the film because of the additional tidbits of information provided show how the character's personalities fill the voids of each other. The sound effects, such as crunching and splattering of zombies, the impact of blunt objects, the sounds of zombies moaning, and the use of gun fire provide a sense of surrealism while providing some comic relief in the process. The contrast of characters could not have been anymore different for this film which makes it appealable. Tallahassee, the dominant personality, is raw and uncensored. He is hardcore and the badass of the group, which is polar opposite of Columbus who is perceived as weak, cautious, and a flat out nerd. Their pairing from the beginning is a major contrast which often provides a great deal laughter throughout the film. Wichita and Little Rock, appear to be innocent girls but have a great deal of experience in outwitting others and getting what they want which is immediately apparent when they come in contact with Columbus and Tallahassee. The contrast in personalities in this film make it successful because you never know what to expect from the characters until they actually do it until they all realize that they need each other in some form or fashion. Zombieland has surpassed any comedy involving the existence of zombies. The contrast of characters who all have their own strengths and weaknesses is uncanny giving several instances of humor. Seeing how these characters come together to form a pact, was intriguing from the beginning and adding Bill Murray with a cameo was just the icing on the cake. Trying to top this fun filled, action packed adventure will be a tough challenge due to the creative narration and such a contrast of characters that make you laugh throughout the film.