The best zombie movie I've seen - BIG SPOILERS

Rating: 7/10 (6 August 2010)

This movie was really cute. Perhaps that's a strange thing to say about a zombie flick, but it was. The script was good, the direction was good, Eisenberg's character's Rules were a hoot, and I don't think I've enjoyed a Woody Harrelson role more since Cheers. He was so bleepity-bleeping funny as he stalked through most of the movie trying to be the baddest bleepity bleeper left on earth, and his unwavering search for something very specific was a delightful little quirk that endeared.
Bill Murray's surprise appearance - playing himself - just about knocked me off my chair. Though I knew someone big was going to make an appearance as soon as I knew they were headed for Hollywood, I don't think it gets much better than Bill Murray (though I was cheering out loud for either Brad Pitt or Gwyneth Paltrow before Murray showed up...THAT would have been classic). Murray's screen time was perfect for being brief, and his departure was a side-splitting scream.
Though I didn't think Emma Stone or the normally charming Abagail Breslin contributed anything substantive to their roles, there were a few great moments between them and the boys, and there had to be girls for advancement of the plot. Amber Heard's very brief role in the film is worthy of an honorable mention for being completely over the top, utterly predictable, and funny, funny stuff.
Each role was contrived to take itself way too seriously, which was one of the things that makes this movie so fun. There were many, MANY horror movie clichés in the film, but that didn't detract from the plot one bit. There were a few ridiculous asides in the film, some pointless scenes, and some pretty campy dialogue, but it all added to my overall enjoyment. Though not necessarily for the squeamish, this wasn't supposed to scare. This was a clever film, all the more clever for making fun of itself at every turn, and I enthusiastically recommend it.
Thanks for reading.