What I reckon: Zombieland

As mentioned previously, I’m rather over zombie films, and when I first saw the trailer for ‘Zombieland’ I was underwhelmed. Great, I thought, a ‘Shaun of the Dead’ inflected buddy comedy with zombies and Woody Harrelson. Whatever. The only reason I showed up on cheap Tuesday to see it was an absolutely glowing review from my Internet girlcrushes, Popcorn Mafia. They loved it, I love them, I was in the mood to check my brain in the door. I had few expectations. And it totally blew my mind.

The premise is simple: it’s America, post-zombie apocalypse. The film opens with a hypochondriac college student, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who I only imagine is reiterating his uptight college student role from ‘Adventureland,’ outlining his rules for surviving a zombie apocalypse. Like many of the film’s moves – Woody Harrelson’s redneck Tallahassee, the eventual gathering of a group of ragtag survivors, the much-vaunted celebrity cameo – in lesser hands it all could have gone wrong, but overall it’s hilariously pitch-perfect. Not to mention that it has the best opening titles since ‘The Watchmen,’ after the jump.

FUCK. YES. A big part of ‘Zombieland’s success are its zombies, who are, by turns, goofy and genuinely frightening. Whoever painted up those extras did a tremendous job – this is some good, old fashioned Rick Baker shit. By the third act, a zombie melee in a neon-lit amusement park at night, I was genuinely concerned that our plucky survivors might not make it, which was surprising and refreshing, as it’s rare that a film can make me care whether a character lives or dies. Woody motherfucking Harrelson, man. I can’t even remember another Woody Harrelson; whenever I come across his name I just think nudity, pot or bongos, or is that his sandy blonde doppelganger Matthew McConaughey? Either way, DO MORE MOVIES LIKE THIS, Woody Harrelson. You are charming and the best. Actually, I think I need you to do some kind of buddy movie with Robert Downey Junior. That would be the best. And I’m so glad that Abigail Breslin is still the cutest. My heart very near exploded at the part where she explained Hannah Montana to the others.

Either way, go give this your money. It’s either that or the 3D blue alien boobs of ‘Avatar,’ or John Cusack’s blowjobface in ‘2012.’