I wasn't sure I was going to see this when I first saw the trailer, but the more I saw of it, the more interested I got, and when all the positive reviews started getting released, I actually got excited. I think the only other zombie movie I've seen is (the incredible) Shaun of the Dead, which is also a comedic approach to the genre. Like Inglourious Basterds (in many ways, actually*), Zombieland isn't a great movie, but it is an incredibly fun and entertaining movie. Both movies know what they want to do and they set about achieving their goals extremely well (and the more that I think about them, because they are both so well-executed, I may need to stop using the "not-a-good-movie" line on them).
So the zombiepocalypse has happened. In Zombieland, the zombies are not undead; rather, they are diseased (some dude ate a bad burger at a truck stop, his brain degenerated from a virus, and he developed an anger problem and insatiable hunger for human flesh). Most of the United States has been turned into zombies, and only the strong and the smart have survived. Columbus (not a single character in the film, with one notable exception, goes by his or her real name; most people go by where they lived... this extended to Columbus' neighbor in Apt. 406 because he didn't know her name) may be timid and meek (he lives in a post zombiepocalyptic world, and clowns are still his number one fear), but he is smart. He developed a set of rules to live by that kept him alive.
The top four are "Cardio" (the "fatties" were the first to go, according to Columbus), "Double Tap" (never assume that a zombie is down for the count), "Avoid Bathrooms" (you are never more vulnerable than when your pants are down), and "Seatbelts" (good tip even before the zombiepocalypse). These in addition to various other rules have served him well enough in the few months since America fell apart.
Columbus begins the film by lamenting the fact that he was always content to be a loner in life, but now that he truly is alone, he misses what he never had. One day, he comes across another non-zombie, Tallahassee, who has survived through sheer brute force. Unlike Columbus, who kills zombies only when he is out of other options (like running away), Tallahassee makes a point to kill every zombie he comes across. He is better armed than Columbus, but more reckless. The two decide to stick together in order to have some human contact, even though neither can stand the other at first. They soon meet Wichita and Little Rock, a pair of sisters who are small-time con artists. The sisters have gotten by based on their cunning; when they need something, they take it from unsuspecting people, including Columbus and Tallahassee.
Despite a rocky introduction, the four eventually become a unit, traveling west together to find a place where the zombies haven't gotten yet. At first, I rolled my eyes when I heard about the archetypical "mythic-place-where-this-trouble-hasn't-yet-penetrated" (yet for whatever reason, I just went with it when Dollhouse introduced the idea of Safe Haven), but when Tallahassee pointed out that such stories are usually myths, and once you get to the place, the people there state that they had heard that the mythic place was where the adventurers had come from. Also, I'm somewhat surprised that Wichita and Little Rock didn't immediately join with Columbus and Tallahassee, because, in my opinion, a group of between 4 and 8 would be ideal for existing in a zombiepocalypse (I've put way too much thought into this). More than 8 is too many to keep track of, but with at least four, no one will ever be alone if you have to split up into groups.
The zombies in the movie are certainly dangerous, but the movie is mainly about showing the characters trying to make the best of a (very) bad situation. They do what they want when they want. They raid a supermarket in Tallahassee's seemingly futile quest for Twinkees (note: Sno Balls fucking rock), they destroy a tourist trap souvenir shop to blow off steam, they break into Bill Murray's house to live the life of luxury (the best scene in the movie occurs in Murray's home theater), and every now and then, they take immense pleasure in zombie killing. Tallahassee is constantly trying to achieve the coveted "Zombie Kill of the Week" award, which, no matter how hard he tries, he will likely never beat the nun who dropped a piano on a zombie's head. In fact, Columbus' latest rule, which he learned from Tallahassee, is "Enjoy the Little Things."
This movie is incredibly fun, and although the climax requires Wichita and Little Rock to do something EXTREMELY stupid (the theme park where there are no zombies has no zombies because there are no people there, but when you turn on all the lights and music, it becomes a zombie invitation), it is amazing to watch the characters use the rides as a means of zombie killing. The movie won't win any awards, but it is a fantastic way to spend 90 minutes.
Up next: My indie entrance...
*Both movies are about killing people/things that have little or no sympathy. In an installment of Bleep Bloop sponsored by the makers of Zombieland, the commentators referred to Nazis and zombies as the perfect villains because no one cares about killing them. Also both movies feature a character saying something along the lines of "I'm in the business of killing Nazis/zombies and business is booming."
No comments:
Post a Comment