Rated R for horror violence/gore and language.
Directed by Reuben Fleischer
Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin
A zombie satire that is as funny as it is gross…with a little heart thrown in for good measure.
The cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone.
Columbus has his rules, Tallahassee has his guns and the girls have their wits. They are like the A-team of zombie-killers. There have been countless zombie movies made since George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (well technically you could go to imdb.com and count them, but you get the point). Some have tried to stay true, some have tried to be gorier, and some have tied to be funny. Zombieland is definitely more Shaun of the Dead than Dawn of the Dead.
JONATHAN’S WORD: I know, I know. Some people are probably wondering, “How can you even like a zombie movie?” I have to confess, I’m a fan of scary films (you can read Jonathan and Hollywood director Scott Derrickson talk about the genre here). My favorites are from great directors like Alfred Hitchcock or M. Night Shyamalan, but I’ve been known to watch an occasional zombie movie.
TODD’S WORD: And you’re admitting this?
JONATHAN’S WORD: It really depends on the film. I don’t like it when directors sell out to gratuitous sex and subtle lies that teenagers buy into ( more on that here). But when a director can paint a picture of a post-apocalyptic world or a world over-run by disease and death…I love these kinds of survival films. These films always have me on the edge of my seat!
TODD’S WORD: One of the things I loved about this film was actually one of the biggest surprises – and that was the emotional rollercoaster. One minute I was flinching watching what could potentially be the “Kill of the Week” and the next I was busting a gut watching the team’s shenanigans – like when Columbus makes his dramatic exit on a motorcycle. And like all good roller coasters, the best parts are the unexpected parts.
JONATHAN’S WORD: I agree. The film was hysterical one moment, and genuinely frightening the next.
TODD’S WORD: Besides thrills, chills and some great laughs, the biggest surprises were the heartwarming scenes…yeah I said heartwarming. Oh and I can’t forget one of the best cameos I have seen in a long time…don’t worry I won’t spoil it for you.
JONATHAN’S WORD: Truly a great scene!
TODD’S WORD: If it weren’t for the language this would be a “Theater Worthy,” but I have to go with “Rental” on this one.
JONATHAN’S WORD: Yes, the language was bad and the first twenty minutes of the film had a lot of zombie violence and blood. But in all honesty, I wouldn’t fret if my 16-year-old son saw this. I’d probably just see it with him.
It was probably one of the best movies in the genre, with humor, heart and horror. I’ll easily give it a “Theatre Worthy.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Kids are gonna want to see this one, but the language and gore are way too much for them.
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
