Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland is a great film that can be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Shaun of the Dead. After Shaun of the Dead other zombie films started to come out that were truly awful (think Zombie Strippers more then Land of the Dead). Some critics thought the Zombie genre had faded out, or more to the point, couldn't get near the quality of Edgar Wright's Zombie comedy.

Zombieland proved everyone wrong. By now, you've probably heard about the cameo (I still won't mention his or hers name just in case). You see, about half way through the film we get a 'surprise' appearance from a comedy legend who gamely starts taking the piss out of the other movies they've been in. What's so great about this cameo is that it's so unexpected and perfectly done that it puts all other cameos to shame. But thankfully Zombieland isn't just about that cameo. It also has big laughs, a great cast who are more 'fleshed out' (I'm so sorry) then you'd expect from zombie films.

The cast are brilliant. Zombie films always have certain characters that are just there to be eaten, but not Zombieland. Director Rueben Fleischer and his writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese have created four likable characters whose story you become totally invested in. Jessie Eisenberg plays Columbus, one of the few survivors of the Zombie outbreak and it's his storyline we follow from start to finish. During his quest to find his long lost parents he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) who's a big alpha male brimming with guts and swagger. We have the gorgeous Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin who play sisters that are con artists. You could argue that the girls parts are slightly underwritten but this doesn't effect the story, and in Woody Harrelson's performance (his best work in years) and Eisenberg's you have a great combo that plays out more like a buddy-cop movie then a zombie one.

Despite Zombieland being heavily stylised and relentlessly slick, it also has a heart to go with it's brains which makes the audience care about the story and survival of the main characters, not just how many zombies they can kill along the way (although they do indeed kill quite a few). In a genre that has definitely seen its fair share of stinkers, Zombieland can stand alongside the greats.

This isn't just a Zombie film, it's also a great film, with Fleischer showing great style and assured quality in his debut film. Zombieland is one of those films that can be watched again and again.