ZOMBIELAND

US, 2009, 88 minutes, Colour.
Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer

At least you know where you stand (or sit) by the title! You are in Zombieland US, where a virus has infiltrated the majority of the population who are now the equivalent of George A Romero's Living Dead, preying on the living and devouring them if they can (though they can run fast, chasing the living, rather than lurch as they do in Romero's films – which, it seems, is why the fat people are the first to be caught and eaten!).

Of course, not everyone wants to see zombie films whether they are serious or funny. This one is funny. There have been some scary movie spoofs but they tend to be a bit along the scratch concert line, hit and miss jokes – and sometimes aiming at the lowest common denominator.

Zombieland is much more cleverly written. It parallels and parodies the living dead conventions but has a lot of wisecracks, especially with movie references, so that there are frequent smiles and laughs.

With the bigger budget than the cheap parodies, the sets are more impressive, especially the climax at a fun park where the cast go on a literal rollercoaster to escape the zombies. And the cast is very good. Jesse Eisenberg gives yet another variation (no, that is too strong a description because he is much the same every time) on his wimpish, dorkish persona which he does so well. He speaks the voiceover narration and his delivery and timing are just right in describing what has happened to the world, how he ticks as a phobia-ridden young man (whose first encounter with a girl finished up with her being a zombie and attacking him) and his list of rules for dealing with zombies.

When he encounters a redneck human (Woody Harrelson at his manic best, shooting zombies but weeping for the loss of his dog - to the accompaniment of Paul Anka singing Puppy Love), there is a standoff but they decide to take the road together. Then they encounter two sisters (Emma Stone and, of all serious young actors, Abigail Breslin) who are not all they seem. It is as if the four of them are in a zombie re-make of I Am Legend.

The foursome, each with a particular eccentricity that makes for humorous interactions, arrive in LA and decide to settle in the mansion belonging to Bill Murray who is at home and gives one of his fine comic performances, sending up Ghostbusters and expressing, when asked, his movie regrets: Garfield!

Given the number of slasher movies, living dead and other horror films, it is good to have one that takes the genres seriously enough to parody them so well. It took them all, writers stars 10 years to do it all again – and very amusingly.

1. The title? Expectations? The popularity of the film? Box office? Critical acclaim? But 10 years before the sequel (and its very close repetition of the plot as well as the comic devices)?

2. The Post-apocalyptic US, mad cow, mad persons, mad zombies? The dismissed stated US? The road trip through the US? The Californian Playland? The musical score?

3. Make up, special effects, vicarious violence in the killing of zombies?

4. The introduction to Columbus, Jesse Eisenberg and his style and manner, University, gawkish, his narrative? Searching for his parents? The encounter with Tallahassee, tough, killing zombies, Woody Harrelson style, the Twinkies’ search, lament for his puppy, discovering that it was his son? Their travelling together, the encounters with the zombies?

5. The discovery of Wichita and Little Rock, the shopping centre, the sisters, con artists, tricking the men, the weapons? Taking the car? The decision to pursue them?

6. Catching the sisters, the adventures across the United States, post-apocalyptic devastation?

7. Hollywood, the visit to Bill Murray, the comic touches, his disguising held himself as a zombie to be able to shuffle around and recognised, his accidental death? The group watching Ghostbusters?

8. Finding Playland, a safety refuge centre, turning on all the rides, the lights, attracting all the zombies?

9. The group bonding, becoming family, the devices for destroying the zombies and keeping safe?

10. The rules – and, courtesy of Wikipedia for those who need to see the rules,

1. "Cardio

2. "Double tap"14 ("Ziploc bags" in a deleted scene

3. "Beware of bathrooms"

4. "Seatbelts"
6. "Cast iron skillet"
7. "Travel light"
8. "Get a kickass partner"
12. "Bounty paper towels"
15. "Bowling ball"
17. "Don't be a hero"; Columbus later changes the rule to "Be a hero" at the amusement park, after facing his greatest fear (a clown-zombie) to save Wichita and Little Rock.
18. "Limber up"
19. "Ziploc bags"
21. "Avoid strip clubs"
22. "When in doubt, know your way out"
28. "Double-knot your shoes"
29. "The buddy system"
31. "Check the back seat"
32. "Enjoy the little things"
33. "Swiss army knife"
34. "Clean socks"
48. "Hygiene"
49. "Always have backup"