The group continues staying in Murray's mansion, playing a game of Monopoly using real money. Tallahassee fully opens up to the others about the passing of Buck, revealing that it was actually his son. Tallahassee even ends up crying from the discussion, leading to a hilariously relatable quote; "I haven't cried like that since Titanic." Zombieland then gives even more one-on-one time within the group, with Tallahassee teaching Little Rock how to properly shoot and Wichita drinking wine and flirting with Columbus. The two almost have a moment yet are unintentionally interrupted by Tallahassee. Realizing she's getting too close to the boys—contrasting with her belief to trust only family—Wichita and Little Rock end up leaving by themselves, heading to an LA amusement park that Little Rock has always wanted to go to.
It's here that the sisters end up doing the stupidest thing ever—going to the amusement park and turning on all the lights and machines in the place. The decision, as might be expected by any rational human, attracts a ton of zombies to their location. I don't know how these clever sisters got hit so hard with the idiot ball. It is one of the more painfully artificial ways I’ve seen writers create a climactic finale for a story. The two end up getting trapped in the situation, leading Columbus and Tallahassee to come in and save their butts.
Despite its very contrived construction, the climactic finale does offer some epic, albeit somewhat lengthy, action sequences. Tallahassee showcases how much of a true badass he is by taking on almost the entire horde himself—using all his weapons and settings offered by the amusement park to kill every single zombie that comes after him (the battle plays with the audience with whether Tallahassee may bite the dust but, fortunately, he doesn’t). Columbus goes directly for the girls, deciding that some rules are made to be broken, changing Rule #17 from Don't Be a Hero to Be a Hero. Columbus saves them and finally realizes that what he’s been searching for all along was right with him:
Columbus: That face. That's me realizing that those smart girls in that big black truck and that big guy in that snakeskin jacket they were the closest to something I had always wanted, but never really had. A family. I trusted them and they trusted me.
Wichita finally gets over her trust Issues by revealing her name, Krista, to Columbus (making her real name the only one of the four the audience learns) and kissing him. Columbus finally gets to brush a woman's hair behind her ear and get to first base as Tallahassee humorously remarks. And Tallahassee...almost gets his Twinkie, but is foiled by the jittery Columbus who accidentally shoots and blows a hole right through the last remaining Twinkie box (Tallahassee must really care for Columbus, for this is the second time Columbus destroyed something he loves without getting punched in the face), leading to what could be the film's most somber moment:
Columbus: Oh God! Words cannot express..
Tallahassee: It's too soon.
Columbus: Do you think you can, maybe, just pick out the Buckshot and just kind of eat around it?
Ah, just kidding, Little Rock ends up finding and throwing him a single Twinkie, giving a satisfying conclusion to this strange subplot as Tallahassee finally indulges in the delicious gooey fatness he’s been desiring. The four then proceeded to get into their car and drive off in search of new entertaining adventures...that I had to wait ten years to get!
That is, quite possibly, the worst aspect of Zombieland: that it leaves on such a high, ripe for a sequel to be made, making yet took a decade for such inevitability to happen. Even more baffling how, at the time, it was the highest-grossing zombie film made. Yet low and behold, a sequel has been made, and I am super hyped for it! It may end up being the worst sequel to ever be created, but in this moment, knowing a sequel actually exists fills me with joy and excitement.
When you get right down to it, Zombieland doesn’t completely live up to its premise. It presents itself as a raunchy, gory, black comedy filled with loads of over-the-top violence. Yet while certainly raunchy and gory at times—as well as having over-the-top violence—the overall time spent on these aspects is surprisingly modest. Zombieland spends most of its time focused on its four central characters bonding and casually interacting (the film’s cast is almost entirely the four, with the only other “named” characters being 406 and Bill Murray). It gives ample time for the four to grow on the audience and bond with each other. I love the various interactions between them, as well as the film giving each pair combination screen time together. I love how the film puts priority on the little things that happen between them over the bigger apocalyptic picture.
The premise certainly contains hilarious comedy for such a grim setting, often utilizing death and tragedy for laughs. Yet there’s also a surprising amount of somber, potent, and/or touching moments between its characters. The zombie genre often places survival, horror, and/or action over character development and growing bonds—yet with Zombieland it’s quite the opposite. When Columbus states that they have become a family, they truly feel like they are a family and I want to see them survive. And yet, Zombieland still succeeds at giving over-the-top action, gore, and hilarious black comedy. Zombieland is very much what its premise offers up, and very much the opposite—and it all ends up making for one hell of a fun ride.
Zombieland is far from perfect, yet I still love the film dearly. The film is pure unadulterated entertainment with hilarious comedy, creatively extravagant popcorn action, a creatively stylistic approach, a great cast, and colorful characters given substantial screen time for development and interactions. What I took from Zombieland ten years ago was a reaffirmation that goofy popcorn flicks can be effective pieces of cinema—that films do not have to always be dramatic, complex, and/or deep to be great. And I still agree with that sentiment.
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