In a world destroyed by an epidemic that has turned most of the population into zombies, university student Columbus is on a journey to his hometown with the hope that his family has survived the catastrophe. Columbus is one of the few who has survived because he strictly follows a series of rules he has imposed on himself to survive the zombies. One day he meets Tallahassee, a rough and foul-mouthed Yankee who is his exact opposite. Together they continue their journey in search of survivors until they encounter Wichita and Little Rock, two sisters who present themselves in difficulty but turn out to be thieves heading to a California amusement park.
Since 2004, when Edgar Wright brought the fantastic "Shaun of the Dead – L’alba dei morti dementi" to screens worldwide, the popularity of zombie comedies, or zombedy as they have been renamed due to the new genre that has proliferated in recent years, has skyrocketed. The quality of the "children" has, however, never managed to even come close to that of the "parent," despite the relatively highs of "Undead or Alive" and the undeniably lows of "The Mad." The latest addition, in chronological order, to the zombedy genre is "Welcome to Zombieland," a huge box office success in the US and inexplicably released only on home video in Italy. We can, however, include "Welcome to Zombieland" among the successful zombedies, a very enjoyable ride on a roller coaster that knows how to entertain with some nice narrative and directorial ideas and a frenetic pace.
The director Ruben Fleischer comes from TV (it’s useless to mention titles, all niche stuff that we’ll never see in Italy), the screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also do (in addition, the first was involved in Disney and Pixar cartoons like "Dinosaurs," "Monsters & Co.," and "Tarzan 2"), and indeed "Welcome to Zombieland" has the pace and ideas of certain sitcoms, combined with the aesthetics of a mainstream Hollywood product. Let’s say that Fleischer’s film doesn’t invent anything; it has the "usual" zombie centurions who, since Boyle and Snyder, have established themselves in contemporary cinematic imagination. There are characters that feel like déjà vu, starting with the smart nerd who is the protagonist, and narrative ideas shamelessly recycled from other films of the same genre (the "zombite" disease comes from mad cow hamburgers, something already mentioned in the Irish "Dead Meat" in the pitiful "The Mad" and, with genre variations, in "Isolation – La fattoria del terrore" and "Kaw – L’attacco dei corvi imperiali"). However, the mix created by "Welcome to Zombieland" presents an unexpected freshness that manages to distinguish Fleischer’s film from the crowd.
The omnipresent narrator’s voice—who will surely annoy someone, as theorized by screenwriter Robert McKee—immediately transports the viewer into the heart of the story, and the series of rules to follow to survive the zombies provide a nice variation to the acts of heroism and bravado that often fill films about the undead. Columbus, the protagonist played by Jesse Eisenberg ("Cursed – Il maleficio"; "Adventurland"), now trapped in the role of the nerd, has developed an excellent set of rules by following which one can survive the zombies. Just break one and magically you’re in trouble. Moreover, Columbus is full of complexes, sometimes typical of American teen comedies (he’s a virgin and unlucky with the opposite sex) and sometimes decidedly strange (he’s afraid of clowns!). It goes without saying that the journey the boy will undertake during the film is the inevitable metaphor for inner growth, a life path that will lead him to find love and overcome his fears (yes, there is a zombie-clown!). The exact opposite of Columbus is Tallahassee, a Woody Harlenson ("Natural Born Killers," "2012") who seems to be having a great time, a Texas hick with an easy trigger and a disturbing fixation on coconut snacks. The classic pair of opposites, the foundation of every buddy movie, who here appear particularly well-matched and well-supported by two faces that are perfectly suited to the requested role. As travel companions to the hoped-for salvation, there are the beautiful Emma Stone ("Suxbad"; "The Rocker") and the former child prodigy Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"; "Alla ricerca dell’isola di Nim"), a pair of terrible sister swindlers that no one would ever want by their side during a survival horror situation.
"Welcome to Zombieland" has some absolutely praiseworthy directorial and editing ideas. If the slow-motion is (ab)used for paradoxical chase scenes, some camera placements result effectively strange, and the action scenes at the amusement park, among roller coasters and twin towers, have that sense of wonder typical of amusement parks. Some exchanges of lines are also well-aimed, and certain scenes are hilarious, like the long sequence at Bill Murray’s house, who plays himself in a hilarious cameo.
Turns and turns again, we’re always talking about a film that’s a must for mandatory disengagement, a carnival wagon that aims to entertain as its only goal. However, "Welcome to Zombieland" succeeds in its intentions; it’s carefree and fresh despite lacking originality.
The ideal movie for an evening of chaos, beer, and popcorn.
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