Woody Harrelson as Leathery Roughneck in Zombieland

This film's tagline is really "Nut Up Or Shut Up"

A A A Comments (8) By Scott Foundas Tuesday, Sep 29 2009

Glen Wilson

Survivor: Zombieland

Details

Zombieland
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Columbia Pictures
Opens October 2

ALSO
Photos from the Zombieland Premiere zombie-march in Times Square
by Nate "Igor" Smith

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The zombie movie—that evergreen vessel for all manner of social and political allegory—gets stripped down to its "Holy shit! Zombies! Run!" chassis in this fitfully amusing romp directed with little ambition and even less distinction by first-timer Ruben Fleischer. Set in a not-too-distant future (Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic 2012, set for release in November, is on the marquee at Grauman's Chinese), in which most of mankind has gone flesh-eating crazy from a Mad Cow–style pandemic, Zombieland follows the requisite hardy band of uninfected survivors as they, like the Griswolds before them, make their way to the promised land of a Southern California amusement park. Woody Harrelson leads the charge as a leathery urban roughneck in the Snake Plissken mold, with Jesse Eisenberg (typecast, yet again, as a virginal neurotic), Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin (the latter two playing a couple of scam-artist sisters) riding shotgun. Ho-hum zombie mayhem lurks around every bend, but the movie's comic tone becomes increasingly strained (as does Eisenberg's logorrheic voiceover), up to and including an indulgent movie-star cameo by a certain deadpan genius usually more discerning in his choice of projects. Who ya gonna call? How about John Carpenter?

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John 01/09/2011 8:15:00 AM

I agree. He's either an idiot, a professional troll, or maybe just a gigantic douche. I'm going with options one and three.
Connor 03/31/2010 11:24:00 PM

Your an idiot
Stephen Conn 10/23/2009 10:12:00 AM

Okay, I've seen it, and the review was pretty much on the mark. Some funny Eisenberg/Harrelson schtick, but Eisenberg's v.o. did become annoying and the B.M. cameo was cloddishly handled, like his daughter knew the director or something and was doing him a favor. Plus, alot of marking time scenes where jokes could have thrived. Sorry, guys, the Voice isn't just bitching for bitching's sake on this one.
Nick 10/03/2009 11:52:00 PM

Sighh...Can always count on the Village Voice to be as contrarian as Armond White. So funny the NY Press and VV are supposed to be polar opposites, and they both dabble in the same crowd-baiting film reviews. According to VV I should ditch this one and go see Inland Empire because 3 hours of Lynch masturbation is worthy of my ten dollars, yet escapist entertainment is not? The nail in the coffin is the VV's review of The Matrix, quite possibly as hilariously bad as the New Yorker's original Star Wars review. I know you believe the words you write, but perhaps it's your initial mindset that's out of whack. John Carpenter? Dude, 20 years ago, you'd be ragging on him for not living up to the horror standards of Howard Hawks and Val Lewton.
Look 10/02/2009 12:14:00 PM

Worst movie review I have ever read. This movie fit right into the genre.
Stephen Conn 10/02/2009 4:37:00 AM

Nathan, you suck. you ruined the surprise for the rest of us. Boo!
Nathan 09/30/2009 4:45:00 PM

"movie-star cameo by a certain deadpan genius usually more discerning in his choice of projects." Please, you just lost all credibility with that one sentence. Bill Murray's career is hit or miss at best and his deadpan genius is as tiring a routine as the Jesses and Michael Ceras of the world.
Sora33 09/30/2009 5:30:00 AM

I completely disagree with your assessment. I saw it at a sneak preview screening and enjoyed the heck out of it. I think the movie-star cameo was inspired and completely unexpected. Try not to be too serious about a movie that doesn't take itself too serious. Enough people are sucking the fun out of the world.