A disgrace to the industry

Rating: 1/10 (14 December 2009)

Right from the start, Zombieland demonstrates that it will be nothing more than a momentary pop-culture fad. The seemingly stylized effects and flaccidly aimed creativity bring nothing but disappointments considering well-marketed movies generally follow the trend of high public interest. Zombieland opens with an unmistakable predisposition to waste. Poor casting, less-than stellar visuals, repetitive cinematography and an absolutely awful plot line shelve Zombieland beside films sent to the dreaded "bargain-bin". Footage past the point of unnecessary, distasteful scenes along with poor dialogue and strewn organization plague the film through and through ranging from an idiotic Bill Murray appearance to the unmotivated demolition and raids of retail and grocery stores by the main characters.
Even the zombie appearances themselves render as far below mediocre. Traditional zombie cinema has always been adored by a certain collection of individuals (including myself- strongly) seeking the visual entertainment of often flesh-eating, undead beings that terrorize, destroy, and massacre for no objective reason. Films like 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, Pet Sematary, and other cult classics paved the way for zombie-cultureonly to have ZombieLAND, which braces us for an epically memorable production and cherry-on-top pleasure, lead us to the frustrating conclusion that yet another genre of cinema has been dragged down by high-budgeting money matters and poor execution. The plot being the main character (Eisenberg) running into a series of jaded Zombielanders (Harrelson, Stone, Breslin) and forming an alliance, following Stone and Breslin running away to a hyped amusement park and being saved by Eisenhower and Harrleson, only to lead to Eisenhower falling in love with Stone, getting kissed for the first time, and driving off with a narrative before credits roll.
The finale itself is by far the most depressing moment of the experience leaving the audience with a "Wait, it's over? What?....." reaction- one that should never be bestowed upon viewers. My only credit to Zombieland is that I cannot possibly idealize a greater time for a film like this to be released. Simplicity and toilet humor are at an all-time high and present day society follows aimlessly along. However, Zombieland is intentionally geared towards an audience consisting of both children and adults to enjoy with limited "smart humor" and small motifs (Ex: Twinkies for kids) throughout the film, thus over-inflating its popularity. As far as an enjoyable view, it satisfies the untrained eye. But to anyone that takes film seriously and considers both artistry and substance to be necessary components, Zombieland falls short- even dismally from its quality as a composition being labeled even "alright".