“Zombieland” is an outrageous and smartly made movie that never takes itself too seriously. It’s not concerned with the state of mankind or warnings about the future. It boils down to a road trip movie plagued by ravenous cannibalistic zombies. And it’s hilarious.The premise: America is a burned out wasteland overrun by the undead. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) team up early on after encountering each other on a deserted highway and are known only by their respective destinations. Both employ vastly different methods of survival. Columbus, suffering from a severe case of irritable bowel syndrome, adheres to a strict set of rules that flash helpfully on the screen.
Tallahassee, on the other hand, takes unmitigated glee in dispatching the zombies in as many different ways as possible (Think tire irons, chainsaws, car doors, a banjo.) in an attempt to make “zombie kill of the week.” On an expedition for Twinkies gone awry in an abandoned grocery store, they meet up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). The sisters, actually a pair of con women, quickly relieve the men of their weapons and car. Not once, but twice.
After grudgingly joining forces, the quartet eventually makes their way to southern California, with a quick stop off in a Beverly Hills mansion and one of the best surprise cameos in years. The climax involves hordes of zombies converging on an abandoned amusement park where Columbus must confront his worst fear in order to save the day, a zombie clown.
Bottom Line: “Zombieland” succeeds mainly because of the winning chemistry, charisma and well-tuned comic timing of its lead actors. It’s a smart, campy movie full of blood, gore, and most of all, laughs.