BLU-RAY: Zombieland

Mar 09, 2010

Written by: Dee Pilgrim

For all those who thought this would be merely a big-budget remake of Shaun of The Dead, boy are you in for a welcome surprise.

Less horror, more giggling gore, one of the best things about Zombieland is its knowing cleverness and its totally irreverent attitude. How can you not love a movie where the two ‘hero’ characters happen to be an anal retentive with no mates, and a Twinkie-guzzling, trigger happy maniac who get well and truly shafted by a lippy teenager and her 12-year-old sister?

Welcome to Zombieland where, as our narrator and main man Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg – on wonderful awkward geeky form) explains “mad cow disease became mad person became raving zombie”. Columbus has managed to escape being bitten and eaten alive by sticking to a set of strict rules. He’s travelling alone, trying to get back home to (you guessed it) Columbus when he comes across Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) who likes nothing better than kicking zombie arse. The two decide to travel together but come a cropper when they encounter Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who promptly trick them out of their vehicle and all their weapons.

Tallahassee vows to get even with the girls and after a few zombie adventures all four find themselves in LA where they decide to check out the mansion of one Bill Murray. What ensues next is pure comic mayhem and genius as Murray deadpans his way through some brilliant in-jokes. It’s clear from what’s on screen that all the main players are having a hoot throughout and just to put the cherry on the cake the action climaxes at a deserted funfair which quickly becomes overrun by zombies, allowing Tallahassee to go into full-on death machine, gun toting mode, while Columbus does a lot of running around.

So, no horror, but lots and lots of laughs. Zombieland is sweet natured rather than being snaky, which is why you’ll find yourself loving it, its characters and its story. Roll on Zombieland the sequel – I can’t wait.

Zombieland is available to buy now on Blu-ray and DVD.

Author: Dee Pilgrim

Dee always knew she wanted to make her living from writing and so trained as a journalist before working for a variety of music and women’s titles including Sounds, Company, Cosmopolitan, Ms London, New Woman, and Girl About Town. After going freelance she concentrated on celebrity interviews and film, theatre, music and restaurant reviews. Her love of film goes back to her very first cinema experience at the age of five when her mother took her to see Bambi. She cried. At one time she was the Film Editor for NOW magazine and also the secretary for the film section of the Critics’ Circle and the celebrity coordinator for its annual film awards’ event. She has written a number of books for teenagers through Trotman Publishing, including five Real Life Guides to vocational careers (including Carpentry, Plumbing and Catering), and also three books on Real Life Issues (Money, Bereavement and Self Harm). Her favourite film is still Bladerunner.