Zombieland
“Rule number one, zombies lead a very active life, so should you. ” -Columbus. Zombieland is directed by Ruben Fleischer and is about a few people trying to get by after the zombie apocalypse. The main characters are named after the places they’re ether from or going to. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a sheltered, introverted geek with a fear of clowns. Each character has made it this far for certain reasons, he is paranoid of everyone, had no previous attachments and lives by a set of rules. Talahassee is a twinkey loving, nothing-to-lose, redneck who’s finally discovered what he’s good at in life, Zombie killing.
He’s made it this far by simply put, kicking ass. Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin), are characters that Columbus and Talahassee meet later. They’ve have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem. However part of their survival has included not trusting anyone, so things are sketchy between both pairs for quite a while. The movie was well written and turned out very well because of the fact it focused on the living instead of the undead. What the plot line was centralized upon was human interactions in a crazy and unique world.
It also pokes fun at the standard zombie movie with well timed humor. In general what set it apart was the fact that it didn’t take itself to seriously. The movie starts out with Columbus narating a scene that introduces his developing list of rules for surviving in a world overrun by zombies. Among them include rule number one, cardio. It goes back to the old joke about not having to outrun the bear, just your buddy. He notes that “fatties” were among the first to go after the zombies took over because they were easy to catch.
Other rules include “beware of bathrooms” (you don’t want to get caught by a zombie while on the toilet) and “Always double-tap” (two gunshots, whacks with a blunt object or blade to be sure the zombie is dead for sure). There are a few additional rules sprinkled throughout (he has over 30) and they’re used to good effect. After meeting up with Talahasse, Columbus hitches a ride deciding it may be better to travel together. They meet Wichita and Little Rock when the two girls rob them of their vehicle and weapons. Later on they meet up and decide to travel together.
Eventually they end up in Beverly Hills, where Talahasse wants to sleep in a a specific celebrity’s house. Soon after the girls head to an amusement park in the LA area so that Little Rock can have at least a little childhood fun, but things take a sour turn, requiring a rescue from the boys. What was interesting in the movie was the interaction and relationships between the characters. The plot was centered around their interactions. Something that also added to the plot line was the narating of Columbus as the movie progressed.
The movie poked fun at the traditional zombie horror flick by sprinkling in well timed humor in the face of pure zombie gore. The opening scene shows a poltician chasing a man. He ends up eating him, picking his teeth and belching. As the opening credits are running it goes through a few funny situations like a man running from a zombie stripper, a hobo with an end is near sign getting eaten, a fire fighter running from a zombie on fire and many more. They find comedy in making fun of the situation. Other times the movie makes comedy out of Columbus’s fears.
For instance when Columbus has 406, his neighbor and a girl he is attracted to, over he talks about his fears and even as distressed as she is, she can’t help but to chuckle and say “really? ” Throughout the movie when he goes into more detail about himself, it really makes a person chuckle. What makes this movie different from most zombie movies though, other then the comedy, is the fact its centered around people instead of the zombies themselves. When Columbus meets Talahasse, Talahasse doesn’t think the relationship going to last, calling Columbus, “a bit of a bitch. But as the show goes on Talahasse and Columbus become close.
Near the end when Columbus and Talahasse are going to part ways Talahasse realizes that Columbus still needs him and he decides to give him a ride in pursuing the girls and eventually saving them. When the guys first meet Wichita and Little Rock, the girls rob them. The sisters don’t trust anyone but each other. They end up driving off twice with the vehicles that Talahasse some how enquires. The first time they leave immediately. The second time is after an extensive period of travel with the guys. They leave when they don’t think they can or should trust the boys.
When they begin traveling together things are particularly sketchy because nether of the two groups trust each other. The movie also highlights different ways of running from your problems. Columbus is scared and will physically stay away from things that scare him. Then there is Talahasse. He lost his son to the zombies and now is running from his problems by basically burying his head in the sand, showing a ruff exterior, killing zombies and chasing twinkies. Finally there is Wichita and Little Rock. They are scared of trusting others and getting to attached to the wrong people.
This fear eventually pushes them away from the boys the second time. In the end what ties the movie together is the lesson that Columbus learns. That while they are all lone, wondering spirits they are the closest thing that he has had to a family. They look after and watch out for each other. Even as a kindred spirit, a person can still have a family and can still belong somewhere. It was a buddy, fitting in movie with a half eaten flesh covered exterior. The movie was great because of skillfully timed humor and great character interaction development.
