This is the way the world ends, not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies slaughtering all of humanity. Apologies to T.S. Eliot, but in contemplating catastrophe Eliot didn’t have the benefit of seeing Zombieland. He knew nothing of the virus that turned nearly all of humanity into flesh-eating, gore-gobbling, bile-spewing monsters.
Zombieland, which turns out to be better than its ti
Harrelson’s most amusing turn in recent years
If, on the other hand, you’re game for some gory genre fun, Zombieland may hit the spot. That’s partly because of the pleasant misanthropy of its nerdy main character, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg’s low-key st
The rest of the cast is equally good. In one of his most amusing turns in a while, Woody Harrelson shows up as Tallahassee, a zombie-hating cowboy who loves Twinkies. Harrelson’s joined by Emma Stone as Wichita, a con artist who uses her skills to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Her younger sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) does her share of conning, too.
First-time director Ruben Fleischer does a decent job serving up comedy and action. I forgave the self-conscious use of rules that Eisenberg’s character spouts and which are printed on the screen. An example: “Rule Four: Seatbelts.” Rule Four warns survivors to buckle up so that they aren’t hurled through windshields while running over zombies.
Zombieland isn’t a movie you want to oversell, but if you’re looking for something that’s got some comic kick and doesn’t feel the need to impress you with its hipness — as was the case with the recent Jennifer’s Body — Zambieland should do the trick.
Know this, too: There’s an explosively funny cameo in Zombieland. Nope, I’m not going to tell, and I’d advise you to avoid anyone who insists on trying to clue you in.