My Review of "Zombieland (2009)"

Zombieland (2009) is the movie that started the small little franchise. It was innovative at the time and it is also quite a product of its time. That's not necessarily a bad thing but you can tell that there are a few things that wouldn't be able to fly today. For some of us that's kind of a fun reason to go back and rewatch some of these movies where there doesn't seem to feel like there are as many perceived restrictions.

The movie starts off with our main character Columbus narrating to introduce us to the world of Zombieland. It's a world that has already been consumed by zombies. The origins basically from a guy eating a bad hamburger. I totally forgot about that until I saw this again. Mad cow was a big deal back in the day and must have been the impetus that started the idea for the movie.

While presenting us the lay of the land he is also introducing us to his personal rules and the rules of the world that he lives in. For the most part it works really well because these rules get called back over and over throughout the movie. Columbus isn't actually out of place in this new zombie infested place because he's been a loner all of his life.

That all changes when he starts to meet up with new characters in this apocalyptic world. He soon meets Tallahassee. This guy is pretty much the polar opposite of Columbus. He's loud brash and loves killing zombies and kind of thrives in this new world of theirs. Unfortunately he has a few demons inside him that he needs to face.

The story doesn't really start until the duo meet Wichita and Little Rock. They're two sisters trying to find their way to a theme park called Pacific Playground. Little Rock being the younger one wants to have fun while Wichita is the older of the two and seems hardened by the whole zombie situation.

It's kind of odd that Wichita is the only paranoid character among the four characters. You'd think after so many interactions with people, everyone is quite paranoid. Still this is actually more of a comedy than it is a horror movie. There are fun little jump scares and moody situations that have you squirming but for the most part it is quite fun.

Another thing to note is that the special effects are pretty well done for a movie that is over a decade old. It has aged remarkably well in the visual department but I can't seem to say the same for some of the content. Then again you have to realize people did react and talk this way back in 2009. It is pretty accurate to the times but would definitely not be accepted by today's standards.

At its core it's a romantic comedy that focuses on family to get through the dark times. There's not much deeper meaning behind anything in this movie other than getting to the next punchline and next action sequence. That's part of the likability of this movie though. It's quite simple and gets to the point. A lot of movies nowadays try to say too much and this one is kind of a nice change of pace.

Overall, I had a great time watching this and kind of had flashbacks of the late 2000s while watching it. Those that lived through those times will immediately get some nostalgia while watching this. Don't expect master filmmaking for this popcorn action flick and you'll also have a great time with it. I have to give this movie an 8 out of 10. It is a movie that I can come back to over and over again.