If you haven't seen it do it. Now.

I don't know why it took me this long to write a review on this truly epic movie. I saw it weeks ago. There's not a whole lot I can say without giving things away, but I will say that it contains some amazing characters, some epic scenes, and some of the grossest zombies I've ever seen. It's funny, it's tragic, it's fast-paced, and you should pony-up the ten bucks to see it because it's worth it.

For a more in-depth view, see below.

! CONTAINS SPOILERS !

There is rarely a movie that is able to be funny, intense, entertaining and tragic all at the same time. It's somewhat surprising that all of these elements can be found in, of all things, a zombie movie. But it is there without a doubt.

We start the story with a spastic college student who is headed in the direction of Columbus, Ohio, searching vaguely for the family he was never really close to anyway. The boy is a cautious young man and lives his life by a very specific set of rules, which are presented as a constant theme throughout the movie. I've heard some complaints about the way the rules pop up, but I thought it was all rather clever and I'd almost have liked them to appear a few more times. In any case, after a brilliantly choreographed chase scene that leaves our hero walking alone down an abandoned highway, he is met by Tallahassee, a true-to-life gunslinger with an over the top tough-as-nails persona and an unrivaled love for Twinkies. Insisting that real names make it "too personal" Tallahassee insists on calling the main character Columbus, which is how he'll come to be known for the rest of the movie.

When asked about his family, Tallahassee merely says he has lost his "pup", a critter named Buck and that there's really nothing left for him. The scene cuts away and we are presented with Tallahassee doing everyday things with what is literally the most adorable puppy known-to-man. It's a little sad and a little funny until you realize the tragic implication of it later in the movie. It's surprising how a character like Tallahassee (who at first seems merely to be the definition of Badass) can have so much depth but, again, it's there.

Along the way they also meet two con artists, Wichita and Little Rock, two highly intelligent sisters who have been hustling since before the outbreak and who are happy to jovially steal Columbus and Tallahassee's ride. Not once, but twice. Finally an uneasy truce is formed between the two groups and we find ourselves with four of the most lovable characters in the horror genre.

The hilarious characters combined with the subtle undertone of loss and (most importantly) family is truly epic and it really made me care about all four characters, so much so that my heart was in my throat during the entire last half of the movie. I will say that if you have a weak stomach, you probably don't want to watch it. The girl I was in a group with almost passed out during the opening credits because there was so much blood. I thought the credits were funny personally but, like I said, lots of blood and quite graphic, especially on the big screen.

The added support from comedy genius Billy Murray was also a big plus and there was nothing like watching big tough Tallahassee dance to the Ghostbusters theme.

The only movie comparable would perhaps be Shaun of the Dead which, while slightly more slapstick, managed to be funny throughout until the very end when things were suddenly very serious. I would recommend either movie to anyone who can appreciate the brilliance of a Drama-dy (drama-comedy).