I'll admit it up front -- I am not a zombie movie person. I don't know Romero's works off by heart, and I don't have deeply held opinions about zoombies. Still, the more zombie films I watch, the more convinced I am that treating the subject light-heartedly is the way to go. Who needs Apocalyptic allegories or explorations of the meaning of survival when you can have good, clean, flesh-eating fun?

Zombieland gets this spot on. Much in the manner of Shaun of the Dead, there are one or two jolting, I-didn't-see-that-one-coming moment, but the vast majority of the time the zombies are a background threat, plot device, and vehicle for comedy. The protagonist is a self-conscious stereotype of a geek: gangly, awkward around people in general and women in particular, and accustomed to spending evenings playing WoW. He narrates the film -- and it's not obtrusive, being well-written ("The first time I let a girl into my life," he comments, "she tried to eat me!") and well-cast (actor Jesse Eisenberg doesn't seem to have been in much before, but don't let that put you off, he's got the nervous geek act down pat).

The plot is fairly straightforward -- our main character's trying to get from his university in Texas to where his parents live in Ohio, on the off-chance that they'll be alive -- and meets up with a small motley crew of adventurers, all trying to get various places, who decide to band together. Not wanting to get too attached, they don't exchange names, and refer to each other by their destinations: Columbus (our main character), Tallahassee, Wichita, Little Rock. There is plenty of action, some character development, and maybe even a chance that the geek will get the girl in the end. What makes the film shine is the comedy -- well-judged, well-timed, and plentiful. Like Columbus' "Rules For Surviving Zombieland", which pop up every so often (for instance, when he's being chased round a deserted car park, a little graphic reminds us of Rule #1: Cardio), or Tallahassee's driven pursuit of his one remaining goal in life (Twinkies).

It won't make you think very hard, and it's not High Art, but it is a very well-executed light-hearted romp through the monster-infested remains of American civilization. Go see Zombieland -- I highly recommend it!