Zombieland

Woody Harrelson in a zom-com? How good could it be? At least, that was my initial response to this film when I heard of its production months ago. But buzz started to build, particularly after Comic-Con and the release of some inspired teasers and trailers. This was followed by extremely enthusiastic word of mouth and surprisingly positive reviews. So a little more than a week before it released, I decided this is a movie I had to see. Yeah, a true victim of the hype. But in this case I'm glad I succumbed to the marketing blitz, because this is very fun movie. Jesse Eisenberg (in Michael Cera mode) is our narrator during this journey into the familiar zombie-infested post-apocalypitc world. He's eventually joined by three other survivors (Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) as they travel to the alleged zombie-free amusement park (Pacifc Playland) in California. For the most part, this is a road trip movie with zombies. But the finale in the amusement park reverberates with an energy I haven't felt since a group of survivors took shelter in the Monroeville mall. As we all know, there's no such thing as a zombie-free location, and the amusement park is no exception. As a result, the four find themselves under assault among the bright lights and cheerful music. This is where the movie earns big points for originality, the highlight being when Harrelson rides a roller coaster (and several other attractions) while basting zombies. Considering the subject, this is a very upbeat movie with some genuinely tense moments. Oh, and there's one huge surprise in the middle, so go see it before someone ruins it for you.