The rules were used sparingly enough to remain funny. If they had incorporated more rules it just would have gotten too old, and they let enough time fly between popping up the rules that when you got to the last rule that was shown in the movie, it was still funny.
Yeah, but I think my problem with it is that it was kind of a half-baked execution. I felt the move was just telling me instead of showing me. Instead of showing me the list and letting me conclude he was neurotic, he was just like “Look how neurotic I am! I have a list!”
I understand how comedy callbacks work, and I liked the scene where he unbuckles his seat belt while talking to Wichita, because it didn’t have a big “OH LOOK, I AM CROSSING MY LIST OFF!” tag on it. But often, the jokes were too obvious.
You want to know how petty I am? If the first 3 rules they gave me had been random numbers instead of 1, 2, 3, I would’ve liked it more. It would have given me the impression that the list was fleshed out, and I was getting snippets of it as appropriate.
That kinda’ strikes me more as a compulsive reaction.
I think what we’ve learned here is Wheeljack keeps lists himself.
Possibly.
I think it’s just one aspect of a bigger issue, which is that at the end of the day, I never felt entirely invested in the characters. I always felt “I’m watching a movie somebody made” instead of “I’m peering into this world” or even “This is an interesting story”.
Yes, it was a light comedy, but I still felt that I could’ve been more invested in it. I still liked it overall.
Man you just described like 90% of action movies.
No, by my reckoning, action movies should have me thinking “Ooh! That blowed up good!” I don’t think I should ever think “I’m watching a movie now” while I’m in a theater.
Ferris Bueller had a list, too.
That’s fair.
I’m willing to say that my enjoyment of the movie was entirely independent of any tangible measures of quality. I accept its flaws, though see them as irrelevant. Just fun stuff.
I think this was a pretty deliberate choice. The integration of typography into the action, the gamey Zombie Kill of the Week, the fact that rollercoasters run themselves, and especially the interaction with Cameo drove home that to me. Zombieland explicitly treats itself as a movie instead of as an honest depiction of events, and I think it works really well within that context. I understand how that would be offputting to some but I loved it.
It looks like my lesson for the day is that when most people say a movie was great, it means they had a great time, not that it was a great movie.
Yes, some of us in the minority tend to forget this from time to time.
Now I need to add that to my list of ostentatious 3D animated rules to live by, if only to reduce the chance of spoiling other people’s fun in the future.
Ah, so that’s why the message about exchanging World of Warcraft for a crush on a girl who likes Ghostbusters and needs to be rescued from zombies comes across as incredibly shallow; it was an intentional satire of the shallowness of movies. I guess I’ve been watching the wrong movies. Maybe it would make more sense if I was still playing WoW.
Fixed.
If you honestly walked into Zombieland expecting it to be a “great movie,” especially after seeing the trailers, you may need to recalibrate your Expectatiometer.
Amusing potential cult classic, nothing more.
Definitely dropped the ball in the last part of the movie (seriously, what kind of retard would go to a populated zone like LA, then into an amusement park, at night, and turn the lights on, in a zombieverse?), and it could have done things better (Zombie Kill of the Week). Should have been more light-hearted. Very entertaining though, if the brain shuts off in proportion to popcorn intake.
Girlfriend said it was one of her favorite movies by far.
Oh yeah. She’s a keeper.
On a more relevant note; saw the movie last night, had a ton of fun with it. The few terrible parts (Anything featuring B.M.) were short and easily forgotten, and the interesting zombie kills (Piano, riding the roller coaster, the baseball bat home-run hit, etc etc) were awesome. Woody is fucking spot on throughout the entire movie, and the revelation about his past towards the end actually tugged at my heart strings a bit.
Emma Stone… fucking gorgeous. I’m in love. She’s the new Zoey Deschanel, in my eyes.
Buh? 5
Super Spoiler Territory, I guess…
Bill Murray. It was stupid. As soon as I saw him I knew two things; A) He wasn’t a zombie (Despite looking like one), B) he was going to be killed by Columbus. He was a bit part, which I guess was its saving grace, but it was just a bit too corny. Woody’s reaction was the only really funny part about the Murray scene, and I’m usually a fan of anything Murray does. Just could’ve been done so much better (Like, say, let him live).
Well, we’re going to have to disagree. My wife and both loved that entire series of scenes. I especially was rolling when
spoiler spoiler spoiler
Murray and Talahassee were re-enacting the “Slimer in the chandelier” scene from Ghostbusters, Murray in his costume from the film and Talahassee with a vacuum cleaner. Emma Stone’s spot-on Annie Potts imitation didn’t hurt, either.
STILL HITTIN SPOILERS HERE
More SPOILERS STILL DON"T READ
That scene was alright (Got your costumes mixed up tho, Tallahasee had the Ghostbusters get up), and got a chuckle from me. Girlfriend really liked the scenes. I just felt like they were a bit tacky. i’m not saying they lowered the movie at all, but I think having Columbus do the most expected thing kinda ruined it. Should’ve let Bill Murray live and give a heartfelt goodbye to the crew as they ran away.
That being said, movie was phenomenal in all ways.
SPOILERS
Yeah, but the way they dispose of his body was pretty funny.