The 2004 British movie Shaun of the Dead is one of the best comedies ever made, and it's about zombies. So one big point in favor of the new American zombie comedy Zombieland is that it immediately makes clear that it is not trying to imitate Shaun.

The nameless narrator (Jesse Eisenberg) believes he is the only normal human left in North America. He attributes his survival to a long list of rules, the first of which is a single word: "Cardio." As that word appears on the screen, we see an obese man waddling for his life as a zombie chases him across a field. Because the man is out of shape, the zombie wins. A few other rules are named and demonstrated in a similar documentary style, quite distinct from Shaun's cinema verite feel.

But once the narrator meets a few other survivors, the clever rule-list motif is almost completely dropped. This is a shame.

Moreover, in a negative contrast to the British film, Zombieland's characters--who have no names--are strictly stock. Eisenberg plays a Schlub, Woody Harrelson appears as a Wisecracking Action Hero, and Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin come on as two Dangerous Chicks.

The only character who does have a name is a comedian who is famous for his deadpan humor, who appears in a cameo as himself. (His identity is meant to be a surprise.)

The Action Hero provides one new rule for the Schlub's list: "Enjoy the little things." This means to indulge in vandalism, specifically in a long, slo-mo scene in which the four characters smash every single item in a large American Indian-themed gift shop in Arizona.

Rather than laugh, I wondered why the all-white cast was doing this to artifacts that represent (however kitschily) an ethnic group whose members appear nowhere in the film.

It's bad news for a zombie movie when a viewer finds himself thinking, "This is in poor taste," and actually meaning it.

The movie opens Saturday.

(Jul. 23, 2010)