Film review: Zombieland (2009), directed by Ruben Fleischer

What do you do if a virus turns everyone into blood-thirsty monsters? Die, mostly. That’s what most people seem to have done – except a few people. Welcome to the United States of Zombieland; “the best ZomCom since Shaun of the Dead.”

The main protagonist is a nerdy loner (Jesse Eisenberg), scared of most things and whom you wouldn’t exactly class as hero material anywhere outside World of Warcraft, and who we get to know as “Columbus, Ohio”, because that’s where he’s from. He crosses paths with a man known as Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), who knows his guns, has a Twinkie obsession and likes his big cars.

Together they roam the land, killing zombies and trying to stay alive. Their paths, in turn, cross with cunning sister team Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

That’s pretty much it. The film begins in a gory way, with zombies eating people. Good thing we had decided putting off dinner until after watching it! It’s a zombie comedy, and yes, it’s funny. The best part was the Bill Murray cameo (as himself). On wondering if he had any regrets, his answer was simply “Maybe Garfield” – and the funny thing is, Garfield was showing on UK telly this afternoon! Ooh the timing!

There was even some room for being serious and realising the emotional upset of having everyone you’ve ever known and loved either eaten alive or being infected by the zombie virus and trying to kill you. If you like zombie comedies, this is one worth watching, I’d say. I’m not really into zombie films personally, but I enjoyed it. Not so much the gory bits, but the other bits. Woody Harrelson is always good in quirky roles.

4 out of 5 amusement parks.