Release Date:  October 2, 2009
Rating:  R (for horror violence/gore and language)
Genre:  Comedy
Run Time:  81 min.
Director:  Ruben Fleischer
Actors:  Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, Mike White

The recent, 88-minute Surrogates demonstrated how weak a film with a short running time can be. A story with the potential to be profound came off as simply silly, hindered by underdeveloped themes and characters.

Now, the 81-minute Zombieland shows just how good a film with a short running time can be. It aims lower—more for the funny bone than the brain—and delivers a lively story about the undead. It even anchors its energetic, extended road tale with expressions about the need for family and for human relationships built on trust rather than deceit.

But make no mistake—the messages about family are secondary to the main event: zombie killing.

With no pretense to being something deep and meaningful, Zombieland lays out its premise in a spectacular opening and then follows through with a straightforward survival tale for its four characters—the last remaining humans in a world taken over by the undead. Lone travelers Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin)—each named for their intended destination—are thrown together after having seen their family members and loved ones fall to the zombies. Can they build enough trust in each other to avoid the fate of the rest of humanity?

Columbus narrates the film, informing us that he might be the last human in a world overrun by zombies. His family and friends have all fallen to the undead, who seek out any and all human survivors. But Columbus has, quite literally, rules to live by, and he shares them with the audience. Rule #1: Cardio. When the zombies came after their human prey, "the fatties were the first to go," Columbus informs us. So, lesson learned: Work out, stay fit, and you'll always be able to outrun the undead. Rule # 2: Beware of bathrooms. Zombies attack their human prey when they're at their most vulnerable.

The list is ever growing, but it keeps the lonely Columbus occupied, and alive. He's on his way to Ohio, when he encounters Tallahassee, a tough-talking, gun-toting Twinkie-junkie who lives for the thrill of another zombie kill. Tallahassee's swagger impresses the mild-mannered Columbus, but the two of them are no match for Wichita and Little Rock, a female duo who have learned not to trust anyone but themselves. They peg Columbus and Tallahassee as easy marks, only to find themselves dependent on the boys to get them to their destination: a Southern California amusement park rumored to be zombie-free.