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.

Plot-wise, there's not a lot going on in Zombieland as the plot is extremely simple and uncomplicated, it doesn't have any surprising twist nor turn, and, to be completely honest, there are a lot of conveniences and it doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. It's its simplicity and its silliness though that makes it work. 

The characters don't have a lot of depth nor complexity either as they all are one-dimensional, cardboard-like characters. Yet, there's something memorable and likeable about each one of them, whether it's the neurotic geek who is probably afraid of his own shadow, the kinda psychotic cowboy obsessed with Twinkies, or the girl with the perfect hair, perfect makeup and well-thought outfit during the zombie apocalypse or her tremendously ignorant teen sister.

Columbia Pictures

The actors don't do anything new as they all play characters they've played before —Jesse Eisenberg is the only exception because he plays Jesse Eisenberg— but they share a nice chemistry and they are fun to watch, especially Woody Harrelson who gives a humorous performance as the tough guy who just wants a Twinkie and seems to be born to play this kind of role.

Ultimately, Zombieland is not a smart movie, one of those films that keep you hanging with its twists and turns. On the contrary, it's pretty simple dumb, but the cast, Bill Murray's funny cameo and the often black humour make for a pretty entertaining flick.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Han Solo is my one of my favourite characters in the Star Wars universe. I mean, he is a charismatic space cowboy with balls, how can you not love him? Even Leia eventually falls for him. And yet I decided to pass Solo: A Star Wars Story. I just didn't have a very good feeling about it, and, eventually, reviews proved me right. Now that it's on DVD, I decided to give it a chance. 

The film opens with Han (Alden Ehrenreich) as he escapes the planet of Corellia but vows to return for Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), the woman he loved and was forced to leave behind. After that, Han meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), encounters Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), wins the Millenium Falcon and gets involved in a series of dangerous adventures.

In terms of plot, Solo: A Star Wars Story is absolutely terrible, lazy at its best. Basically, all the writers did was to take some of the elements of Solo's past, like how he met Chewbacca, how he won the Falcon, how he got his name --by the way, the scene where we learn about Solo's last name is almost identical to the one in The Godfather: Part II when Robert De Niro's Vito arrives in America-- and what happened with the Kessel run, and called it a day. Actually, they also added a heist plot that has so many twists and turns and double-crosses, you lose any interest in guessing who's gonna betray who next. It's not a big deal though as at that point you already have probably lost any interest in the story.

The characters also are the result of lazy writing. They are pretty shallow, the development is almost non-existent. The good guys, it's really hard if not impossible to care about any of them --I felt sorry for Han, Chewbacca and Lando, those from the original trilogy though as they ended up in this mess of a film. As for the villains, Dryden Vos feels utterly pointless, Enfys Nest is barely in the film, and Darth Maul, why on earth did the filmmakers feel like he needed to be in this? Also, the whole film is about smuggling and yet there is no mention of Boba Fett or Jabba the Hut. What the hell, people?!

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

A combination of bad writing, bad direction and bad casting, the performances too are a disappointment. Alden Ehrenreich is no Harrison Ford. He lacks charisma and as a result, the character is annoying and quite unlikeable. Solo is arrogant and cocky, after all, and if you don't have charisma, the character could only work as someone we are supposed to despise. Donald Glover does a fine impression of Lando but he looks so bored throughout the film. Emilia Clarke is nothing short of terrible. Paul Bettany and Woody Harrelson, well, Ron Howard was able to make them look like amateurs.

Solo: A Star Wars Story also fails at being funny. Most of the comedy feels forced or inappropriate, and the jokes and puns are cheap and fall flat most of the time.

Yes, it does have some positive aspects too. The special effects aren't bad and the action sequences are pretty good --some are bland and repetitive though. But let's be honest, these few qualities alone aren't enough to make a great Star Wars movie.