Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Not only Zombieland is one of my favourite films, it is also my favourite Zombie film — it is dumb and all but at least doesn't make the mistake of trying to be smart and it's a lot of fun. It comes without saying that, ten years later, I was very looking forward to seeing its sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap. I was so hyped I even skipped reviews to avoid negative energy. Thankfully, Ruben Fleischer's film turned out to be a funny and entertaining zombie flick; in other words, a worthy sequel.

Zombieland (2009)

Shaun of the Dead has always been my go-to zombie comedy so I never really cared about watching other movies of the genre. Then eight/nine years ago I fell in love with Emma Stone which translated in me watching every single film she made. Zombieland was one of them, and, despite Jesse Eisenberg, it was love at first sight and now it's kinda replaced Edgar Wright's film.

The story follows Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a geeky young man trying to survive the zombie apocalypse by following a long list of rules he has created. On his way to Ohio to see if his parents are still alive, he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a man who hates zombies and enjoys killing them like nobody else on a quest to find the last Twinkie, and they decide to travel together. While on their journey, they meet Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two sisters who are heading to an amusement park nearby Los Angeles which is believed to be zombie-free.

Train to Busan (2016)

TV shows, movies, comic books, video games, songs, they all have been infected by zombies which is great if you ask me since I love zombies. The problem is that cinema is saturated with these monsters and very often movies involving them are a let down which is why I avoid most of them. Train to Busan (Korean: 부산행 Busanhaeng) though has been on my watchlist for quite some time as I've heard great things about it --also, it's South Korean and they know a few things when it comes to making horror movies. 

Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), a divorced man who is always busy with work and has no time to spend with daughter Soo-an (Kim Su-an), offers to ride with her on the train (the daughter wanted to go by herself) to see her mother in Busan. But as soon as the train departs, a zombie outbreak happens and Sok-woo, with the help of another passenger, Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok), tries to isolate the safe front cars from the infected ones. 

Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

Genre

Comedy | Horror

Director

Matthias Hoene

Country

UK

Cast

Rasmus Hardiker, Harry Treadaway, Michelle Ryan, Alan Ford, Georgia King, Jack Doolan, Ashley Thomas, Tony Gardner, Tony Shelby, Georgina Hale, Dudley Sutton, Richard Briers, Honor Blackman, Elizabeth Webster

Storyline

A gang of bank robbers fight their way out of a zombie-infested London.

Opinion

I've learnt about the existence of this film only recently and the title caught my attention as soon as I saw it. Unfortuntately, other than a very catchy title, "Cockneys vs Zombies" doesn't have a lot to offer.

Even though it doesn't sound half bad - actually it pretty much sounds like "Shaun of the Dead" which is good because I loved it -, the storyline is quite boring and the two "acts", the bank robbery and the rescue mission, don't seem to work well together.

Another issue with the film is that it's hard to get attached and care for the characters. Whether the attacks were successful or a failure, I just didn't care.

Also it lacks those clever elements that made "Shaun of the Dead" such a great zombie comedy, probably because the filmmakers put more effort into the title than they did for the rest of the film.

However, the film is actually well (and fast) paced, it does have nice killings, zombies make their way into the film early on and some scenes are a great fun to watch - like the slow paced "fight" between old men and zombies, or the zombie hooligans. And the humour, strictly British, is decent.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

Genre

Action | Horror | Romance

Director

Burr Steers

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, Lena Headey, Suki Waterhouse, Emma Greenwell, Ellie Bamber, Millie Brady, Sally Phillips, Aisling Loftus, Dolly Wells, Tom Lorcan, Jess Radomska, Hermione Corfield

Storyline

The five Bennett sisters must try to protect themselves from the growing zombie threat, find suitable husbands for themselves, battle marriage proposals and unlikely suitors, and save the country before it's too late.

Opinion

I'm yet to read Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" - yeah, shame on me - but I sure know its reputation, and I have to say I was quite interested to see what kind of results blending such a classic with zombies, which I love, would have produced. I don't even know why I thought, even for a second, it could have been good.

Instead of being grotesque as I thought it would be, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is a bland "zombie/horror" flick where boredom reigns supreme. Seriously, it's so boring, it's hard to follow.

Even though I would never dare calling it is a zombie film, there is a zombie factor involved. The writers' brains, for instance, were probably eaten by a herd of undeads because the screenplay is rubbish. Someone should have told them that just putting zombies in a classic novel is not enough to turn it into a movie - and according to Wikipedia into another book.

The plot is more predictable than the Team Rocket always losing at the end of each episode, and there are so many plot holes it looks like a slotted spoon. And the zombies are intelligent and they have feelings too, and they walk among us without us knowing, and they have their own community. Isn't that crazy?

Unfortunately the writing isn't the only problem. The film cannot be defined as action film either. It is awful, and tedious just like the rest of the film.

The members of the cast also do their best to suck. But it's not their fault, not completely at least. The director is the one that deserves the blame, along with the poor script, because the guy clearly has no clue how to direct.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Genre

Comedy | Horror

Director

Edgar Wright

Country

UK | France | USA

Cast

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, Jessica Stevenson, Peter Serafinowicz, Rafe Spall, Martin Freeman, Reece Shearsmith, Tamsin Greig, Julia Deakin, Matt Lucas

Storyline

Life isn't too good for Shaun (Simon Pegg). He lives with his best friend Ed (Nick Frost), his temporary management job isn't going well, and his long-time girlfriend (Kate Ashfield) has dumped him due to their almost-daily expedition to Shaun's favourite pub, the Winchester. Unfortunately when he finally vows to get his life back on track, the dead decides to come back to life. Now with a cricket bat and Ed by his side, Shaun sets out rescue those he loves and those he doesn't love, and heads to the safest place he know, the Winchester.

Opinion

Are you looking for zombies and hilarious gags? You are in the right place then. Hilarious, thoughtful, and sometimes dramatic, Shaun of the Dead is an extraordinary demential film that became a cult. 

The intention of the film, which is to make a parody of Romero's Dawn of the Dead, is clear right from the opening credits, showing people already acting like non-dead, and following with Shaun waking up and walking like a zombie.

Written by Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright, this film and its simple, quite granted but consistent plot, don't disappoint neither the horror fans, nor those of demential comedies, mixing the right amount of British humour with Romero's finest horror.

In addition to the already great film there is a fantastic soundtrack and hilarious gags and scenes - how to forget when Shaun and Ed try to kill two zombies with their LPs, or when they beat up a zombie to the tune of the Queen's Don't Stop Me Now.

The cast also does its part. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a great duo, both hilarious and with a brilliant chemistry, fruit of their real life friendship. Kate Ashfield wonderfully plays Shaun's girlfriend. The other members of the cast are also great. 

Quotes

Shaun: As Bertrand Russell once said, "The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation." I think we can all appreciate the relevance of that now.
Liz: Was that on a beer mat?
Shaun: Yeah, it was Guinness Extra Cold.
Liz: I won't say anything.
Shaun: Thanks.

The Crazies (2010)

Genre

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Director

Breck Eisner

Country

USA

Cast

Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker, Christie Lynn Smith, Brett Rickaby, Preston Bailey, John Aylward, Joe Reegan, Glenn Morshower, Larry Cedar, Gregory Sporleder, Mike Hickman, Lis K. Wyatt, Justin Welborn, Chet Grissom, Tahmus Rounds, Brett Wagner, Alex Van, ANthony Winters, Frank Hoyt Taylor, Justin Miles, Marian Green, E. Roger Mitchell, Bruce Aune

Storyline

As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife (Radha Mitchell), his deputy (Joe Anderson), and a girl (Danielle Panabaker) band together in a fight for survival.

Opinion

Remake of George A. Romero's 1973 film of the same name, The Crazies is an entertaining and creepy disaster film cleverly masqueraded as a horror, filled with fright and action, that beats the original. 

While the original film follows two stories - one about the civilians trying to stay alive; the other involving the political and military leaders trying to contain the epidemic -, Eisner's focuses only on the survival aspect, putting the clashes with the infected aside. But to be honest I would have liked to see more crazies. 

The story lacks in originality, as it is plenty out there of films dealing with infections, zombies, army, and stuff like that - e.g. Resident Evil, 28 Days Later -, still the film is enjoyable. 

Two things really bothered me about the film. The first one is that everybody is at the right place at the right time. Whenever some people get caught in a dangerous situation, someone else would bail them out of trouble. I really would have loved seeing some fights The Walking Dead style. The second one is how the infected are presented. One minute they don't understand anything, they just want to kill people. The next they are red-eyed, angry monsters like the ones in 28 Days Later. The next they are zombies with guns.

The soundtrack is quite effective. All the cast well play their parts well, and there is a strong chemistry between Timothy Olyphant, the sheriff, and Radha Mitchell, his wife.

Quotes

David Dutton: Don't ask me why I can't leave without my wife and I won't ask you why you can.