Monday, October 5, 2009

Zombieland

Liked Shaun of the Dead? Then you’ll like Zombieland (although not as much). That’s pretty much all I need to say, but of course, I’ll elaborate briefly.

A phobic geek (Jesse Eisenberg) and a bad mo-fo (Woody Harrelson), trek across a barren U.S. inhabited only by zombies. The unlikely duo run into two con sisters (Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) who want nothing more than to get to an LA amusement park, apparently zombie free.

Why see it:
-- It can be funny. Harrelson and Eisenberg play off their type-casts well and the constant stabs at pop cultural are amusing.
-- Stone, sexy in thick slabs in black eye shadow, is proving to be of worth, I think she’ll have a good career.
-- A dynamite cameo, in which an actor plays himself, is easily the highlight. Don’t ask around, don’t IMDB it, just let yourself be surprised.

Why not to see it:
-- Because you’ve seen it all before.
-- Because Eisenberg has played the same geeky, virgin character in his four biggest roles (Roger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland, Zombieland). I mean shit, can’t the kid get laid?

But like most other horror throwaways, if you’ve paid the price of admission, you probably know what you’re getting yourself into, (although one couple did walk out early on… did they not read the title of the film?). Zombieland lacks the original wit of Shaun of the Dead, and the creeps of 28 Days Later. But it’s enough to keep you entertained on a Friday night (or maybe a rainy Sunday afternoon). C+

2 comments:

  1. I wouldn't run to rewatch it, but there was plenty of good fun to be had. I can only take my horror with a dollop of silly, otherwise it's just a gross out.

    And as you predicted, Emma Stone has done a couple things since...

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    1. Yeah I like this one a little more today. Definitely a lot of fun. And Stone really came into her own. Very very cool.

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