.jeri.

I'm falling behind in watching and reviewing movies again. Yikes! Ric and I went to see Zombieland about two weeks ago. He saw the trailer and could not resist the appeal to his sense of humor. I went along for the ride, not too sure whether I really wanted to see another zombie movie. When the opening credits started off showing some grotesque moments of zombie attacks in slow motion, I was sure it was going to bee too gratuitous for my tastes, but thankfully, those credits misrepresent the rest of the movie. I was surprised to find that, in a world where just a few unaffected people spend their days battling zombies, the camera actually shies away from showing the grossest moments.

The few people survivors of the movie are all called by their home towns. Columbus, who is also our narrator, is a neurotic twenty-something (fitting for actor Jesse Eisenberg) who has somehow been able to escape death because of his strict adherence to his rules for survival. These rules are displayed frequently throughout the movie and show us that the makers of the movie are fully aware that zombie movies are usually full of cliches, and so they address them up front and have a little fun with them. When we are introduced to Columbus, he's running from a pack of zombies while trying to get into his car, and the old need-to-unlock-the-door moment comes, but pleasantly shifts as he demonstrates his adherence to the rules by using his cardio fitness to run away from the zombies some more until he can get back to the car a second time. It's the little moments like these that I appreciate about the movie and its own sensitivity to the genre's cliches.

Columbus meets Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrelson, who is his complete opposite. He doesn't seem to fear the zombies at all - in fact, he seems to chase them, rather than the other way around. The two decide to ride together for a while. But Columbus is surprised to find that Tallahassee has a humorous weakness, a gag that runs through the whole movie, and this gets them into a little bit of trouble with a couple of sisters who keep getting in their way.

The plot eventually heads towards California, which has lots of opportunities for entertainment. One of them involves the characters hunting down some Star Maps so they can stay at a particular celebrity's home, which leads to one of the funniest cameos I've seen in a while. The other big one is a showdown in an amusement park, and I liked some of the creative touches used in it.

What I liked about Zombieland was that it wasn't just another zombie movie. The zombies can actually run, there's a play on the cliches, and the pairing of the heroes is an interesting one. But it actually has a heart as well, and it's not an overplayed heart either. There are characters with some flashbacks, which are very cleverly made. Eisenberg's was especially funny (and cemented my idea of him as the Woody Allen of our time, even though Woody Allen is still alive.. perhaps the young Woody Allen of our time - he actually has a surprising level of physical comedic talent), but also led to some pleasant little moments later on in the movie. The way Harrelson's past is revealed is pleasantly unexpected.

Overal, the balance of zombie content, humor, and heart was just right, and made for a great little movie. Ric laughed uncontrollably many times, I even busted up a couple of times, and when we left the theater, everyone around us was recounting their favorite moments or jokes. So, if you can stand some of the gore from a Zombie movie and haven't seen this one yet, I'd definitely recommend checking it out. It's okay to wait for the cheap theater, but you probably wouldn't regret seeing it for the full price either.