Wow -- Jesse Eisenberg must be tired from all the traveling he's done this year. He's literally gone from point A (
Adventureland) to point Z (
Zombieland). And what do you know, both stops involve amusement parks and the awkward Eisenberg falling for a girl seemingly out of his league. But that's where the similarities end. As
Adventureland was set 20 years ago -- and
Zombieland is set in the not-too-distant post-apocalyptic future where America is ravaged by a zombie plague.
Here, Eisenberg plays Columbus (all the characters use hometowns as their names because real names don't seem to matter in this new world) -- a loner in his past life -- and a loner now on a mission to find a part of the country where normal life still exists. He's successfully avoided becoming a victim of the plague by adhering to a strict (and hilarious) list of survival rules -- not sure if he is the last human on earth. But then he runs into Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), an AK-toting, zombie-slaying bad ass whose single determination is to satisfy his craving for a Twinkie. The two could not be any different -- but they are sure fun together as they learn to rely on each other or succumb to the zombies. Eiesenberg and Harrelson are both outstanding -- and have great buddy chemistry.
Things stall a bit when they meet up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigal Breslin), who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem. Stone (
Superbad) and Breslin (
My Sister's Keeper, Little Miss Sunshine) aren't as strong or believable as their male counterparts -- but luckily Bill Murray shows up in a hilarious cameo to keep things moving along.
Director Ruben Fleischer (The Girls Guitar Club) has created quite a fun road trip with a great overall message -- if you don't like hanging out with other people, you might as well be a zombie. Be forewarned, it may be billed as a comedy -- but there is enough blood and gore to remind you that this is, after all, still a zombie movie. [Rated R; opens today]
Grade: B+
Whip It
In her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore takes on the world of women's roller derby. But Whip It is also a story of making a life of your own -- which may not match the one your parents want you to live. The story centers on a Texan high school student, Bliss (Ellen Page), who is unhappy in the world in which her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) has placed her in -- a life of beauty pageants. When Bliss discovers the world of roller derby -- she finally finds true happiness in the sport and the friendships with her teammates -- but will she be able to keep it a secret from her overbearing mother? And what will happen if mom ever finds out? Sound familiar? Yep -- this mother/daughter conflict has been played out before -- but what saves this film is the great cast and the roller derby action.
Page plays another version of her Oscar-nominated turn in
Juno. She's still stuck in high school and she's still harboring a big secret. She's a charmer -- but at times I felt like I was watching
Juno 2 -- if Page has any range as an actress, you won't witness it here. On the flip side, it was great to see the terrific Oscar winner Harden (
Pollock) again. And the supporting cast is wonderful -- including Kristin Wiig (
Adventureland), Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Juliette Lewis, Eve, and Luke and Owen's older brother, Andrew Wilson (who plays the coach). And yes, Barrymore also carved out a small role for herself as one of the derby chicks.
Written by Shauna Cross, the film is based on Cross' novel Derby Girl. And I really appreciated that we actually learn a bit about the rules, camaraderie and excitement of roller derby. I only wish that the conflicted child/parent storyline was a bit more fresh. Still, Barrymore succeeds in entertaining us in her first directorial feature. [Rated PG-13; opens today]
Grade: B
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