The Queue: Zombieland
I still don’t know how I totally feel about Zombieland. I know that it wasn’t a bad movie, as I was laughing quite a bit while watching it. However, there were also moments during the middle where I was checking my watch like I was waiting for a a frozen pizza to cook in the oven. The movie had a lot of promise in the beginning. The introduction of the Columbus character with his rules was done really well, and watching slow-mo deaths were always enjoyable — that woman in the mini-van really should have worn her seatbelt. I’m also a sucker for low-budget horror/action flicks where very talented makeup people get to flex their prosthetic muscles to create some incredibly realistic effects. Between Zombieland and District 9, it’s nice to see some of this old-school style.
What killed the momentum for me was about halfway through, when I’d realized I’d seen this before. I had already seen the campy take on the zombie genre with Shaun of the Dead, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching a movie about Left 4 Dead. Four unlikely heroes team up to stave off a zombie-type infection while traveling across the country in search of a “safehouse”. On top of that, they spend the last act in an amusement park! With a clown zombie! And that’s why I’m thinking that Zombieland falls in the “average” realm for me. Originality. I can’t say it wasn’t fun to watch, but I can’t say that I plan to watch it again either.
What To Add It For: Art Direction/Production
A first-time director making a movie with impressive effects and really well-made setpieces on a small budget is to commended. The grocery and trader stores were made just for the movie.
What To Remove It For: Lack of a Scare
For everything that Zombie land was: fun, entertaining, gory and well-designed, it wasn’t scary and you never felt like anyone was in real danger.
Rating: 3/5
About the Queue: I watch almost all of my movies through Netflix, either by mail or the Xbox Live Netflix streaming service. I thought I’d share what I thought of these movies, maybe sparking a discussion about older flicks or even get some recommendations from my readers. I write one to two paragraphs about the movie — trying not to spoil anything — sum it up with the high point and low point and give it a final review out of 5, as I would rate the movie on Netflix. And I want to hear what you think about these movies, so please, leave comments.
Comments
Thanks for reading! If you liked, or didn't like, what you read, let me know by leaving a comment.
Jeff Posted on 03.08.10 at 21:24
I would probably give it three stars as well. I think of it as a poor mans Shaun of the Dead. Maybe I was in a weird mood when I watched it because I didn’t find it that funny. It had everything going for it with Woody in the lead role.
Darren McNew Posted on 03.18.10 at 12:57
I actually liked it. I did however think it would be scary and that it was not. The humor was well done and that is why I think I ended up liking it more. I am more of a comedy fan, not that it was that funny, but that is what I liked about it. It could have been better which a lot of movies could be but I really enjoyed it. I would give it 4 out of 5. If you can rate in half’s I would end up giving it a 3.5 but if not I’ll stick with the 4.
Subscribe to Comments for this Post
Howdy, Stranger! Leave Your Comment...
Don't worry, I won't share your information with anyone.