ZOMBIELAND

Zombies have taken over the world -- but the old human needs remain. Zombieland is the latest zombie comedy, this time focusing on a handful of survivors who are so cautious that they people where they're from instead of giving out their names; but they still need each other.

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a nerdy young adult who's stayed alive largely thanks to his list of rules, ranging from cardio to double-tap (shooting a zombie twice to be sure it's dead). While trying to get home to see if his parents survived, he hooks up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a good ol' boy who loves killing zombies and really wants a Twinkie. During their travels the two meet up with two con artists-- cute Witchita (Emma Stone) and her young Little Rock (Amber Breslin) -- whose goal is to get to an amusement park.

I haven't said much about the zombies because, well, they're fairly generic: mindless, fast, often with blood and gore all over them and always homicidal. Zombieland is about the humans who, while possibly the last humans on the planet, still have the same old issues and desires. Columbus reveals that he was a neurotic and lovelorn geek even before the zombies came, so his attraction to Witchita would be as in-character in a teen comedy as in this post-apocalyptic world. Tallahassee's joy at killing the undead and avoiding emotional attachments mask his grief over a loss. And the two girls manage to scam the guys -- a few times -- but they too need to be part of something more.

Oh yeah, Zombieland is also pretty funny! Amid the gory zombies (both killing and being killed) are some nice one-liners, not to mention a terrific celebrity cameo. Zombieland doesn't break new ground in the horror-comedy genre, but it is an entertaining diversion.

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch