Logan Sork Film Reviews
Zombieland
While the zombie genre has pretty much run its course, in my opinion, I will say that the genre has produced a lot of great work over many years. One film in particular always stood out to me and that is 2009’s Zombieland. This is the first film I remember seeing take a comedic approach to the zombie apocalypse, something that isn’t fresh or new. But thankfully there’s quite a bit of good to be found in this B-movie that is more than enough to elevate it to A -status.
Zombieland is directed by Rueben Fleischer and stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin and is set in the post-apocalyptic United States in which a virus has turned most of the population into flesh-eating zombies. We follow Columbus (Eisenberg) as he makes his way across the desolate American wasteland. Along the way, he encounters other survivors including the tough yet kind Tallahassee, and the sisters Wichita and Little Rock. Together, they agree to help one another as they take a road trip across zombie-infested America in search of a sanctuary to live.
What separates Zombieland from a lot of other films of the genre is its innate ability to poke fun at itself without coming across as a spoof of the genre. This is noticeable within the opening minutes of the film, as one of the characters lists the rules that will get you killed in a zombie apocalypse, many of which are derived from horror film tropes and clichés. It’s this kind of tongue in cheek humor that helps raise the film above others of the genre. And it’s not just the winks and nods to other films that make this film so funny. There are a lot of great recurring jokes and strange zany moments as well as quite a few physical comedy moments that help make this film more than a one-trick pony from a comedic angle.
And of course, if the film had been funny all the way through, I don’t think I would’ve taken it seriously. Thankfully, however, director Rueben Fleischer knows to balance out the comedic aspects of the film the traditional horror associated with other zombie films as well. There are quite a few moments in the film that are quite tense and unsettling, especially the third act sequence involving zombies overrunning a carnival. The action in this film is also quite good, not great by any means, but more than competent enough to get the adrenaline going after a few quirky comedic moments.
However, a zombie movie can make or break by the characters the story revolves around and I’m happy to say that the characters in this film definitely make the movie. They are all from very different backgrounds, ranging from a geeky college student to a tough and grizzled redneck. It’s these contrasting personalities that make for a lot of great banter between the members of the group and the actors portraying them have great fun doing so. But what surprised me the most was just how well developed they are. Each major character has a full and well-developed emotional arc, something I didn’t expect from a zombie-horror comedy film, but hey, I’m not complaining.
In the end, Zombieland is a very well rounded and entertaining piece of entertainment, which is by no means a bad thing. While it may not be as interested in social commentary as a lot of other films of the genre, it has more than enough fun to make up for that. This is thanks to a great script chocked full of great comedy, great direction with strong horror elements and pleasant well-rounded characters that are brought to life by fantastic actors. If you’re looking for a fun, thrilling and light film about the end of the world, I couldn’t recommend anything better.
8.5/10
Zombieland is directed by Rueben Fleischer and stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin and is set in the post-apocalyptic United States in which a virus has turned most of the population into flesh-eating zombies. We follow Columbus (Eisenberg) as he makes his way across the desolate American wasteland. Along the way, he encounters other survivors including the tough yet kind Tallahassee, and the sisters Wichita and Little Rock. Together, they agree to help one another as they take a road trip across zombie-infested America in search of a sanctuary to live.
What separates Zombieland from a lot of other films of the genre is its innate ability to poke fun at itself without coming across as a spoof of the genre. This is noticeable within the opening minutes of the film, as one of the characters lists the rules that will get you killed in a zombie apocalypse, many of which are derived from horror film tropes and clichés. It’s this kind of tongue in cheek humor that helps raise the film above others of the genre. And it’s not just the winks and nods to other films that make this film so funny. There are a lot of great recurring jokes and strange zany moments as well as quite a few physical comedy moments that help make this film more than a one-trick pony from a comedic angle.
And of course, if the film had been funny all the way through, I don’t think I would’ve taken it seriously. Thankfully, however, director Rueben Fleischer knows to balance out the comedic aspects of the film the traditional horror associated with other zombie films as well. There are quite a few moments in the film that are quite tense and unsettling, especially the third act sequence involving zombies overrunning a carnival. The action in this film is also quite good, not great by any means, but more than competent enough to get the adrenaline going after a few quirky comedic moments.
However, a zombie movie can make or break by the characters the story revolves around and I’m happy to say that the characters in this film definitely make the movie. They are all from very different backgrounds, ranging from a geeky college student to a tough and grizzled redneck. It’s these contrasting personalities that make for a lot of great banter between the members of the group and the actors portraying them have great fun doing so. But what surprised me the most was just how well developed they are. Each major character has a full and well-developed emotional arc, something I didn’t expect from a zombie-horror comedy film, but hey, I’m not complaining.
In the end, Zombieland is a very well rounded and entertaining piece of entertainment, which is by no means a bad thing. While it may not be as interested in social commentary as a lot of other films of the genre, it has more than enough fun to make up for that. This is thanks to a great script chocked full of great comedy, great direction with strong horror elements and pleasant well-rounded characters that are brought to life by fantastic actors. If you’re looking for a fun, thrilling and light film about the end of the world, I couldn’t recommend anything better.
8.5/10