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Surrogates
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Zombieland
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This animated tale of a post-apocalyptic world inhabited only by burlap and metal doll-bots (my word) and nightmarish war machines is finely crafted, dark and compelling. The titular character is 9th in a series of dolls imbued with a touch of their inventor’s soul (no doubt to insure that there is conflict among themselves as well as their metal tormentors). Director Shane Acker and producer Tim Burton, whose influence here is apparent, have crafted a thoughtful, anti-feelgood piece about destruction and renewal, desolation and rebirth. Sounds trite, but the premise works. Voice talent includes Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, and Martin Landau. Expanded from the 11-minute 2005 Academy Award nominated short of the same name.
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Someone is behind a super weapon designed to destroy not only surrogates (robotic representations of their human users) but the users themselves. FBI agents Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Radha Mitchell) trail the mysterious perpetrator, encountering surrogate inventor Canter (James Cromwell) whose son was one of the victims and The Prophet, (Ving Rhames) leader of the all-human resistance, along the way. Director James Mostow (Terminator 3) keeps the action fast-paced without pounding the social ramifications into the viewer. Draw your own conclusions. At 89 minutes, the film proceeds at breakneck speed. If you had your own surrogate, you wouldn’t feel a thing.
The world has been overtaken by the living dead (a virus, of course, this time hamburger-borne). The ever-dwindling pockets of non-zombies must live by their wits – heavily armed, furtive, and ever vigilant against attack. Nerdy Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and wildman Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) team up with female counterparts Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) for an uneasy road trip culminating in an amusement park visit. Along the way they encounter a cameo appearance, surprise attacks, in-fighting, and a Twinkie jones. Prepare for blood and guts by the ton. First-time feature Director Ruben Fleischer keeps it fast, funny, and ferocious.
