Zombielanda.k.a. “Bienvenue à Zombieland,” “Dobrodosli v dezeli zombijev,” “Tierra de zombies”

MPAA Rating:

for horror violence/gore and language.

Reviewed by: Thaisha Geiger
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating:

Extremely Offensive

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Moviemaking Quality:

Primary Audience:

Adults

Genre:

Comedy Horror Thriller

Length:

1 hr. 21 min.

Year of Release:

2009

USA Release:

October 2, 2009 (wide—2,900 theaters)
DVD: February 2, 2010

Relevant Issues

FEAR—What does the Bible say? Answer

Death in the Bible

Final judgment

VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer

Every time you buy a movie ticket or rent a video you are casting a vote telling Hollywood “That’s what I want.” Why does Hollywood continue to promote immoral programming? Are YOU part of the problem? Answer

Featuring:	Woody Harrelson (Tallahassee), Jesse Eisenberg (Columbus), Emma Stone (Wichita), Abigail Breslin (Little Rock), Amber Heard, Bill Murray, Derek Graf, Mike White, Jacob G. Akins, Hunter Aldridge, Elle Alexander, Melanie Booth, Daniel Burnley, Chris Burns, Dalton Cole, Blaise Corrigan, Anthony J. Davis, Travis Grant, Robert Hatch, Barry Hopkins, Amir Khan, Amir Zeev Kovacs, Ming Liu, Shaun Lynch, Lynn McArthur, Jade Moser, Paul A. Moser, Darian O'Rear, Justin Price, Steve Prouty, Tammy Luthi Retzlaff, April Rich, Cody Rowlett, Joan Schuermeyer, Michelle Sebek, Jessalin Smith, Steven Stadler, Sonya Thompson, Victory Van Tuyl, Clay Walker, Steve Warren, Travis Young
Director:	Ruben Fleischer
Producer:	Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Pariah, Ryan Kavanaugh, Gavin Polone, Rhett Reese, Ezra Swerdlow, Paul Wernick
Distributor:	Columbia Pictures

“Nut up or shut up.”

“Zombieland” is a cleverly written film with strong, comedic dialogue and believable characters. It’s also one of the latest gore movies that uses one of the most dangerous tools to mask debauchery: humor. And since there is a lot of it interwoven throughout the film, the well-written humor makes it an all too easy temptation to laugh right on through the movie’s short, morbid run.

Only a few human survivors remain on planet Earth. The towns are now desolate, abandoned, and overrun by infected humans who are zombie-like creatures. They secrete black saliva and hungrily consume any human flesh they can find. Of the few survivors is Columbus (Jesse Eisenburg) who plans on heading back to his hometown in Ohio with the slim hope of finding his parents alive. His survival is easily explainable since his constant phobias, reclusive attitude, and his growing list of survival rules have helped him thus far.

Along the way, he hitches a ride with Tallahassee (an excellent Woody Harrelson) who is his exact opposite. In addition to his journey to Florida, Tallahasee is also on a quest to find Twinkies before their expiration dates make them permanently extinct. He highly enjoys killing all zombies he encounters, preferably with primitive means, such as car doors and banjos. During a Twinkie hunt in a grocery store, the men get hustled by Wichita (Emma Stone) and her little sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). The sisters are headed to California to a theme park that’s rumored to be zombie free. After a few battles of wits, the four eventually decide to tag team and head for California together.

Movies like this are troubling to review. Offensive content aside, “Zombieland” is superbly crafted. It’s a slight parody of the zombie genre and even takes time to poke fun at Facebook. There are several clean laugh-out-loud scenes, and Bill Murray also makes one of the best cameos in recent filmmaking. In addition, the innovative and creative direction by Ruben Fleischer combined with the script writers’ talents makes “Zombieland” funny and interesting in its very short run.

The zombie killers are more than sheer murderers. They have a heart and, understandably, trust issues. Weary of other survivors, they use pseudonyms of their hometowns as opposed to their real names. Their odd bonding is convincing since they only have each other. The film did surprisingly leave room for character development and growth amidst all the gruesome gore.

Offensive Content

The only sexual content is a zombie-turned stripper in the beginning credits, chasing one of her customers. While her nipples are covered, she’s shown running in extremely slow motion. The cursing is very heavy, and I lost count after a while. The Lord’s name is profaned several times, and the “f” word is used in almost every line.

The violence is extremely grotesque, brutal, and bloody. Zombies are shown being decapitated, run over, crushed with hammers, shot, etc. While the camera did turn away during the extremely violent murders, the gross-out, shock factor is ever present. Despite these few turn aways, the audience is still subjected to seeing the zombies suck on bones, eating intestines, and tearing away victim’s flesh with multiple bites. All this was sadly met with laughs and applause from the theatre audience.

VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer

I believe it’s safe to say that all movies contain sin, as does the world. However, films like “Zombieland” simply glorify sin for what it actually is and offer absolutely no redemption or moral lesson. It is what it is: a film that pushes the boundary of human acceptance for the sake of entertainment. The more filmmakers push the boundaries, the more insensitive people become. It’s a wise-marketing strategy and easy money. In Ephesians 4:18-19, Paul describes why nonbelievers would purchase tickets to films like these:

“They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality, so as to indulge in every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more.”

However, sadly several Christians I know enjoyed this film; I even laughed at times I should not have. We cannot be a light for Christ if we are laughing along with the world. In the same chapter of Ephesians, Christians are commanded to “…not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” The Holy Spirit should not be forced to grieve over this pointless filth. Most people know that Jesus commanded us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” In loving Him, we should attempt to keep our minds clean. Seeing films of this nature, requires a Christian to do the opposite of loving God. In 1 Corinthians 13:6, Paul wrote, “love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” We should keep this definition of love within our hearts and not rejoice when humor is used to make evil a pleasure to watch.

Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Mild

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

Ok, let’s first start off with a crash course in Zombism 101. We’re dealing with the living-dead here so I’ll try not to be so graphic.

As we learned in “Return of the Living Dead” (1985) zombies survive on…

a) dead animals
b) farm animals
c) human brains

The correct answer is ‘c’.

As was taught in every zombie movie since George Romero’s 1968 cult classic “Night of The Living Dead” the only way to kill a zombie is…

a) run it over with a truck
b) shoot it in the head
c) play classical music; zombies hate classical music (they thrive on heavy metal)

All morbidity aside, if you know the answers to these two questions then you’ve probably been wanting to see “Zombieland” since they played a trailer at this year’s ComicCon. If you are repulsed at the mere mention of carnivorous creatures rising from the grave and seeking after human flesh then “Zombieland” definitely is not your cup of Joe.

Let’s face it, little has to be said about the content of a film called “Zombieland.” “Zombie” pictures rely on a very tried and true formula. If “Zombie” pictures (a sub genre of a genre that is replete with subgenres) are good for anything it’s that you know exactly what you’re gonna get the moment you purchase a ticket. You know there’s going to be some kind of scientific “accident” that releases the ghastly ghouls onto an unsuspecting and remote rural town. You know there’s going to be plenty of gore and non-stop maiming of the undead (as well as a few of the unfortunate soon-to-be undead). You know there’s probably going to be a lot of profanity. And you know the story is going to find some way to sneak in a scantily clad, if not totally naked undead woman, having died in a rather embarrassing situation which leaves her in want of clothing and with a new found taste for human flesh.

So let’s get the preliminaries out of the way first, what is objectionable about the latest Zombie picture, ‘Zombieland’? Well, from a Biblical point of view, just about everything from it’s opening, bloody title sequence to it’s guns-a-blazing, splatter-filled closing finale.

There are too, too many examples of characters using profanity to list. There are instances of using the name of Jesus and the Lord in a vain manner.

Though there is no sexual scenes in the film, the movie does have a scene early on during the opening title sequence where a well endowed zombie-stripper chases after her human prey. Though she is, for all intended purposes, topless (she wears pasties) the scene is far more disturbing than titillating, since she is covered in blood and has a bloody froth spewing from her mouth. Which leads us to the aforementioned obligatory element of all movies where the undead are at the center of the story, the gore. The film is filled with scenes of violence and gore which consists of the typical violent mayhem found in films of this ilk: shootings, beheadings, stabbings, and multiple humans becoming zombie food. Though, most of the more graphic violence happens outside of the camera lens and the film isn’t of the hyper-violent variety of others from this genre, to the uninitiated the violence will undoubtedly be nothing less than overwhelming.

The story is pretty simple, Jesse Eisenberg (“Adventureland”) plays “Columbus”, one of the few remaining survivors after disease has decimated the human population and left the United States a vast wilderness of desolation and marauding undead. He has come up with a list of rules on how to survive the zombies and remain among the living.

Though he has managed to be one of only a handful of people left in this ravaged world, he accredits it to his lack of social skills and phobias of just about anything. When he takes off to find what may be left of his biological family in Columbus, Ohio he runs into “Tallahassee” (played by Woody Harrelson) his polar opposite, on his way to Tallahassee, Florida. Since people can no longer be trusted those that remain refer to each other as the city they are trying to escape to.

While “Columbus” is on his way west to find his family, “Tallahasse’s” goals are a bit more primal. He’s a gun-totin’, zombie-slayin’ butt kicker who wants to kill as many of the creatures as possible that get between him and his only goal in life, a Hostess Twinkie.

It is on this quest to find this precious Twinkie that “Columbus” and “Tallahassee” find two more survivors, “Wichita” and “Little Rock” (played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin respectively). The two are sisters who specialize in con games as a way of survival. They are heading to California to celebrate “Little Rock’s” birthday at a local amusement park.

The relationship between the four leads forms the theme of the movie as the story deals with issues of trust in a world where people you once knew and loved are now trying to eat you for dinner. The four, each with their own personal issues, struggle in having to depend on one another for survival.

“Zombieland” will definitely draw comparisons to the lighter fare of the horror genre with films such as “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) and “Evil Dead 2” (1987). Like those two earlier films, “Zombieland” is definitely trying to get at your funny bone. However, rather than relying on slapstick or parody, “Zombieland” allows the performances, of the lead characters in a surreal environment, to provide the comedy. Though much of the violence is excessive and gratuitous it is played for comedic effect. There is a surprise cameo in the middle of this film by a well known actor that is very clever and provides the greatest laughs in the film. The movie is also different than its predecessors because it is less of a true horror/zombie movie than an amalgam of various genres: part buddy pic, part Zombie splatter-flick, part gross-out comedy and part romantic love story.

As far as the quality of the movie, the four leads perform well and are drawn out in a manner that makes them far more than just flesh-on-bone waiting to become a zombie happy-meal. The production, consisting of mostly creature make-up and bloody gore effects, is pretty much par for course, which is either bad or good depending on your disposition towards these types of films.

With a film aptly titled “Zombieland” let there be no doubt, you’re going to get what you expect. If you have a stomach for gratuitous, mindless zombie violence with morbid humor thrown in for laughs, then “Zombieland” was made for you. If, on the other hand, your stomach turns at the mere mention of the acts mentioned in the quiz at the beginning of this review, then you should probably avoid “Zombieland” like the plague.

Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Mild
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
—Spencer Schumacher (USA)

Positive

Positive - Creative, hilarious, and visceral. “Zombieland” packs all the punch of “28 Days Later” with all the joie de vivre of "Summer School". A non-stop thrill ride from the get-go. I'd pay 7 bucks to see it again. The only screwed up thing about Zland is the seemingly limitless supply of rounds for the pump shotgun. But considering that's the film's only beef, you can imagine this is quality entertainment at its best.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
—Mega Tron, age 23 (USA)

Negative

Negative - If you love Jesus, stay out of this film! I had to repent afterwards for letting my guard down and watching this piece of wordly filth. Movies such as these taint your mind and cripple your relationship with Jesus Christ. For a Christian there are the good things and then there are the excellent things for which we strive. Zombieland was neither, it was of the worst. Our Lord told us to be holy as He is holy. Watching films such as these do not help us with that endeavour. It is so easy for us to think that letting a little bit of these things in is ok, that it is just a movie and harmless entertainment. We need to remember that scripture says we expose the Holy Spirit inside us to these things and that we take the sin into the body of Christ. These things actually affect our fellow believers. Please don't watch this. There are 3,000 other things you could do with your time, money and eyes that would better glorify God. In love, Noah.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
—Noah H. Wylie, age 28 (USA)

Comments from young people

Positive - First off, if you plan to see this movie be prepared for a whole lot of blood gore and gross scence. With that said there was next to no sex in the movie (just one bloody stipper (no nudity), as for the swearing, yes many people think there was alot but compared to other action/horror/zombie movies it wasnt that bad. I pretty much made my friend come see this movie with me, he had no desire to see it. But after we had left the theatre we were both very satisfitied. It was either the lovable charators or the, hilarious gore that made with movie a must see. beinging only 1.21 hrs long they didnt have a lot of time to work with so they filled it up with action, shooting, killing, and explosions. I am definitely going to be seeing this movie again sometime soon.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
—Matt, age 15 (Canada)

Positive - This movie was awesome!! ITs probably my favorite movie now. Now, I like horror movies and gory stuff. But I suggest you dont watch this if you dont like blood or gore. There is so sex but a couple mintues into it you see a half naked women; her breasts are covered though. There is some bad language, but I wouldnt say its horrible. Overall, it's an awesome movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
—Morgan Gregory, age 13 (USA)