Zombieland

UK Release: 7th October 2009

Watched on LoveFilm Instant: Saturday 28th July/Thursday 2nd August 2012

Rating: 15

Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror

Runtime: 1hr 28mins

Tagline: This place is so dead

IMDb Plot Synopsis: Searching for family. In the early twenty-first century, zombies have taken over America. A shy and inexperienced college student in Texas has survived by following his 30 rules: such as "look in the back seat," "double-tap," "avoid public restrooms." He decides to travel to Ohio to see if his parents are alive. He gets a ride with a boisterous zombie-hating good-old boy headed for Florida, and soon they confront a young woman whose sister has been bitten by a zombie and wants to be put out of her misery. The sisters were headed to an LA amusement park they've heard is zombie free. Can the kid from Ohio get to his family? And what about rule thirty one?

My Review: At long last I get a chance to see Zombieland! I’ve been saving this film for a long while now and it was thankfully worth the wait... 

A quirky, funny zombie film and with a heart no less? You don’t get those very often! The direction and cinematography set this apart from the rest; featuring the bumbling Jesse Eisenberg as the lead, he sets the tone for quality, being an indie favourite. I loved the introduction to ‘zombie land’ in the first act as the ‘rules’ that Eisenberg’s character has created in order to survive this new apocalyptic landscape. 

It has a Shaun of the Dead vibe which I loved as it is smart humour and it definitely works. However it isn’t until a good way into the movie that I begin to truly love it. And it’s no coincidence that that is when the force of the nature that is Emma Stone turns up, sister in tow. The two of them give a whole new dynamic to the film and you can’t help but fall for this surrogate family than begins to take shape. 

The laughs continue as they venture over to Hollywood and into Bill Murray’s not-so-abandoned mansion. Laugh out loud laughter could be heard from my mouth and it is a rare film that does that these days!

Overall it was a fun ride, with enough twists and turns that makes it a hell of a lot better than the usual zombie romp!

Score: 8/10