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Nut up or shut up is the catch phrase of this zombie satire and it also sums up its theme. What if you were the most scared person in the world and zombies took over? You’d think that he’d be the first person to have his guts pulled out and dined on. But fear might also keep you alert, especially if you know the rules.

Referred to by his hometown, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg, ADVENTURELAND), is frightened of everything. Before the plague, he pretty much spent all his time in his apartment playing videogames. With zombies roaming, he is trying to make his way back to Ohio, following a strict set of survival rules. Cardio is his #1 rule. Zombies are slow, so being fat makes you the main course on the undead buffet. Other rules include watching out for bathrooms and making sure to put a second bullet into a zombie’s head just in case. Along the road, Columbus meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER), who is his exact opposite. Tallahassee is a loose canon that loves slaughtering zombies in violent ways and will take great risks to comfort himself with Twinkies.

This odd couple eventually meets sisters Wichita (Emma Stone, SUPERBAD) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE). Turns out they’re not damsels in distress. They can handle zombieland just fine. However, they’re a little naïve about the rumored zombie-free Pacific Playland amusement park in California. But while the foursome is in Hollywood, they visit the homes of superstars, which leads to a funny cameo. I won’t say who it is, but they have a great sense of humor and it harkens back to their more carefree work.

Many have compared this film to SHAUN OF THE DEAD, but it’s just a bit shy of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s landmark zombie send-up. The #1 difference is consistency. Characters acting dumb aren’t new to horror films, but in SHAUN, the characters are dumb and act dumb, while in ZOMBIELAND, crafty characters act dumb, which is not smart writing. Columbus is an interesting character to have in a world of zombies. Purell use doesn’t seem like a top priority in a world of bloody flesh-eaters. Harrelson is hilarious as his gun-totin’ foil. He’s best interacting with the cameo artist, who is also hilarious. Witchita and Little Rock, however, are more plot devices than fully realized characters.

But at 88 minutes, the film isn’t about deep character development. Columbus takes on zombie clichés and Tallahassee embraces them. Eisenberg, doing his best Michael Cera, is a great straight man for Harrelson. In Zombieland, being a loner isn’t a good survival plan and if you don’t nut up, the zombies will shut you up for sure.

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