‘Zombieland’ revives zomedy

Alexa Harrison
Staff Writer

It was only a matter of time before Hollywood produced yet another comedic zombie movie after the success of British film “Shaun of the Dead.” Thankfully, “Zombieland” surpassed its predecessor. It topped box office charts and is getting almost as many laughs as screams, despite the striking goriness of the film.

Ironically, as zombie movies have evolved into their own genre, the best of these flicks have been the ones which satirize zombie movies. That is just what “Zombieland” does: it’s a horror parody where a mysterious illness has infected a now ravenous population.

Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg) is an obsessive, World of Warcraft-playing outcast trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested environment.

He finds his three counterparts almost immediately. First, viewers are introduced to Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a tough, veteran zombie killer with deep, personal scars, and later to witty sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

In the midst of this search, the film’s characters find themselves yearning for a sense of closeness they once had (or, in Eisenberg’s case, are still looking for). It is through this subconscious desire that the audience is able to balance all of the emotion. Zombie movies are an acquired taste, and “Zombieland” is no exception. Blood, gore and brains are even more misplaced in comedies. However, no matter what the reason for refusing to take part in zombie films, “Zombieland” provides a movie experience filled with humorous violence and brutal hilarity.

“Zombieland” is shockingly entertaining. Its unfiltered adulteration of gore, sentimentality and burlesque comic relief blend to create an overall uniformly excellent film.

At a meager 80 minutes, “Zombieland” flies by in perfect timing and structure—it’s fast without losing cohesion. Viewers may groan at some of the jokes and squirm at some of the gore, but throughout the movie they’re never bored. “Zombieland” is rated R for horror violence, gore and language and is playing in theaters everywhere.