Can I recommend a movie simply because Bill Murray is in it? Can I justify a likeness for a film if it contained five great minutes in comparison to 75 more lackluster ones? I’m not kidding when I say “Zombieland” features a cameo so hilarious it may just be worth your money and time. So should you see this movie? If zombies are your thing, have a blast.
Oh! You were expecting more of a review? Anyone going to see “Zombieland” can guess the film is just a goofy monster movie, and for these people for this movie, a simple thumbs up/thumbs down should suffice. Anyone else is waiting to hear if this is another genre-defying “Shaun of the Dead,” in which case, don’t leave the comfort of your witty, quirky Judd Apatow or Wes Anderson comedy just yet.
In fact there is nothing clever about the dozens of zombie murders that pepper the film. Kills are less amusing and more gruesome. They amount to little creativity other than baseball bat to the head, car door to the head, banjo to the head, and on one occasion, grand piano to the head.
So what makes “Zombieland” a comedy? Jesse Eisenberg’s hero Columbus narrates the film in “Wonder Years” fashion. One liners usually containing four-letter-words punctuate each kill, and captions that react to the scenery and list Columbus’s rules for survival pop up now and then.
Otherwise this is just a zombie killfest for bloodthirsty apocalypse hopefuls, not falling into any definitive genre, be it a teen raunchy comedy, zombie horror flick or subtle parody. Why this isn’t appealing to me is likely because I have not once thought what weapon I would first use in the event of a zombie apocalypse. But Eisenberg’s innocent, nervous naïveté is perfectly typecast for anyone who wagered they could survive.
And in terms of plot, survival is the name of the game. Columbus has survived long enough because of his rules, but through the few survivors he meets along the way, he learns to shed those fears and live on the edge. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) is the badass that teaches him to savor the little things and the sexy Wichita (Emma Stone) and her spunky young sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) teach him to value love, friendship and family. It’s this additional aspect that will have some attempting to rationalize the film as more than it is, but this subplot is as blatantly tacked on as Bill Murray’s cameo.
Although I’m glad they did tack that scene on, because that moment is the one genuinely entertaining and hilarious part of “Zombieland.” Beyond that, I grew tired of murder after murder each done in the same way, the subtitles did not cut it for me as real comedy, and I kept waiting for these likeable and interesting characters to do something interesting other than kill zombies, trash a store or “nut up and shut up.”
What do I expect them to be doing? Maybe I’ll watch “Shaun of the Dead” and find out.
2 ½ stars