The zombie movie is one of those subgenres that has been done, redone, and overdone. Hoards of trashy, low budget thrills exist, driven by audience desire for blood splatter and cannibalism. For wider audiences we see both parody and apocalyptic explanations for zombie existence. Either way, their popularity is far from faltering with zombies in comics, music, and video games as well as zombie walks uniting thousands in full costume.
Thus the success of the commercialized zombie film in recent years should not come as much of a surprise. And the expected success of Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland is well warranted. Far from being simply a slash and smash through zombie-infested streets, (which it is) it is also fun and entertaining survival guide commenting on social excess and allowance.
In a Michael Cera inspired performance, Jesse Eisenberg plays a surprisingly self-assured and inwardly confident loner whose instincts and rules have assured his survival this long. He inadvertently meets up with a freewheeling, gun-toting, rule-less advertisement for American material indulgence and environmental disregard in the form of Woody Harrelson. The odd couple exposes one another’s quirks and skills as they travel a lawless and dangerous landscape.
Unfortunately, the biggest danger that exists are two other un-infected whose self-promoting survival instincts outweigh any thought at propagating the human race. An annoying Abigail Breslin and appropriate Emma Stone, sisters in crime, outwit their human rivals leaving mankind to fend for itself. And thus be Zombieland, a film whose execution would have fared better if it weren’t distracted with developing a been-there done-that young romance/proving of worth storyline. (Albeit this is a necessary element to create anything more than a stylistic how-to on zombie survival.)
Here lies the strength of the film. It is an exciting and endlessly fun exploitation that brings out the inherent fun in inventing ways to kill zombies. With an incomplete list of motion tracked titles we learn the rules to survive the zombie apocalypse, an event that seems entertainingly welcome after watching this film. Extreme slow motion shows citizens amidst fleeting survival as the walking dead spew grossly colored liquids and ravage bloody flesh. It’s nothing new to brainstorm creative disposal methods; entire films have been made from this. Fleischer recognizes such and introduces the sparingly used zombie kill of the week, which should have come about more often.
Zombieland, from what one might expect from a zombie comedy, doesn't hold back in quality gruesome theatrics and bodily fluid dispersal. The usual mass collections of extras get dismembered, destroyed, smashed, burned, crushed, and banjoed to comical and rewarding result. As do many of the sets. Vehicles, amusement parks, gift shops, bathrooms, and any and all locale fall victim to rampant and excessive violent outrage on the part of the main characters. Here noted is a rather unfortunate and irresponsible aspect of the filmmaking process that is for from being altered; excess.
Harrelson arrives in a Cadillac, searches for Twinkies, changes to a Hummer and invokes the great American way by living large and worshipping Bill Murray. Infused with pop culture references and aimed at a very MTV related demographic, the social relevance and connection of movies to modern life is undeniable. To invoke a clichéd analogy, we are already zombies feasting on the commercial America and loving it. And Zombieland is one of the most delicious feasts in a while. Eat up.
"Here noted is a rather unfortunate and irresponsible aspect of the filmmaking process that is far from being altered; excess."
ReplyDeleteWell, M, I think you've articulated a very good point.
Just as the land of Zombies is rife with destruction and decay,
the rancid odor of shamelessly gluttony is evident in the making of the film as well --lingering in the crinkled noses of moviegoers who recognize such excessive waste as a sorry commentary on Hollywood's (and indeed, the entire nation's) attitude of utter disregard towards moderation of any kind. As zombies feast on the ample flesh of the American public, the American public gorge themselves needlessly in this Land of Plenty. As you've mentioned, this social commentary is reflected in those scenes of the film in which the characters primitively and carelessly destroy for destruction's sake: the gift shop, the minivan which endures the wrath of Woody Harrelson and his baseball bat, the various automobiles and Hostess trucks littering abandoned highways in varying states of disrepair… All of these sets, props, and materials lay as a sacrifice in the hopes of satisfying the ravenous and insatiable Audience; that fickle beast which craves more, more, more without considering the consequences. If pleased, the Audience will reward such efforts with praise and fortune, those two most valued commodities in these United States.
Ending my rant on the noticeable and lamentable amount of waste littering Zombieland, I would like to add that I found myself nodding along to other portions of your review as well. 'Zombieland' was an entertaining romp through the land of the dead which, although violent, managed to be so without becoming too gruesome or distasteful. Peppered with genuinely funny moments and scenarios (most notably and specifically, a highly amusing and enjoyable cameo), 'Zombieland' was a delightfully guilty indulgence, just like a freshly un-cellophaned Twinkie.