Movie Review
Seriously, what is it with the Zombie Movie? Right from the thirties, this genre of film has continually enthralled as well as disgusted cinephiles with its penchant for outrageously mindless scenarios and sadistic violence/gore. Zombies have presented amateur filmmakers with seemingly justifiable excuses for failing to come up with interesting characters and a plausible storyline.
Today, zombie moviemakers are running out of gas. After all, there's got to be a limit to the number of films you can make about a bunch of sick, undead jerks with a fetish for human flesh. For a zombie flick to stand out from amidst this unrecognizable mess, it ought to be truly different.
Ruben Fleischer's "Zombieland" doesn't actually have much of a plot to boast of. Basically, it tells the same old story of a world infected by Zombies,a world no longer inhabitable, blah blah blah...No, the true ingenuity comes from other factors. For one, the casting choices are pitch-perfect. From Jesse Eisenberg as the paranoid college nerd "Columbus" to Woody Harrelson's cynical, twinkie-hunting psychopath, each actor seems to be firmly rooted in his or her role. And with only five major characters to speak of (not to mention one of the funniest and most effective cameos of all time), all of them are well written and have completely plausible arcs. The screenplay is tight, and so is the editing . Indeed, the crisp and quirky writing, coupled with a consistently funny dialogue and an innovative first-person narrative, is what keeps the film racing in the fifth gear.
Zombieland isn't your average Zombie fare. It's brilliant, smart, laugh-out-loud funny, and above all it's a surprisingly palpable tale about hope, courage, love and the importance of a family to share these with. I Am Legend came close to realizing this, but it couldn't quite drive the point home.
A thoroughly enjoyable ride . Watch it.
Oh, and yes, wear sunscreen.
Today, zombie moviemakers are running out of gas. After all, there's got to be a limit to the number of films you can make about a bunch of sick, undead jerks with a fetish for human flesh. For a zombie flick to stand out from amidst this unrecognizable mess, it ought to be truly different.
Ruben Fleischer's "Zombieland" doesn't actually have much of a plot to boast of. Basically, it tells the same old story of a world infected by Zombies,a world no longer inhabitable, blah blah blah...No, the true ingenuity comes from other factors. For one, the casting choices are pitch-perfect. From Jesse Eisenberg as the paranoid college nerd "Columbus" to Woody Harrelson's cynical, twinkie-hunting psychopath, each actor seems to be firmly rooted in his or her role. And with only five major characters to speak of (not to mention one of the funniest and most effective cameos of all time), all of them are well written and have completely plausible arcs. The screenplay is tight, and so is the editing . Indeed, the crisp and quirky writing, coupled with a consistently funny dialogue and an innovative first-person narrative, is what keeps the film racing in the fifth gear.
Zombieland isn't your average Zombie fare. It's brilliant, smart, laugh-out-loud funny, and above all it's a surprisingly palpable tale about hope, courage, love and the importance of a family to share these with. I Am Legend came close to realizing this, but it couldn't quite drive the point home.
A thoroughly enjoyable ride . Watch it.
Oh, and yes, wear sunscreen.
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