Zombieland — One day in the far-distant future, when visitors from some advanced alien civilization sift through the pop-culture detritus of our long-forgotten empire, they may well come to the conclusion that our downfall came not via global warming, economic collapse, or terrorist attack, but rather through the auspices of the flesh-eating undead. That's how pervasive zombie movies have been of late, or at least it seems that way; at this point even "zombie comedies" could be considered a genre unto themselves.

Zombieland is the latest, and certainly not the funniest or most original, but it's hard not to be entertained by it (assuming your definition of entertainment includes exploding skulls and spattered intestines). Jesse "the other Michael Cera" Eisenberg is Columbus, one of the last remaining survivors of a zombie apocalypse that has ravaged America. Although pale and frail, Columbus has managed to stay alive by diligently sticking to a set of rules he has devised: always take two head shots, check the back seat before taking a car, and so on.

While making his way back home in hopes of finding his parents, Columbus happens upon the first human he's seen in weeks: Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a goofball cowboy who takes a great deal of pleasure in putting down the undead. They team up for a gory cross-country killing spree to rival the one Harrelson took in Natural Born Killers, except that this one is light-hearted and guilt-free; after all, all of their victims are already dead. Things get a bit more complicated when this mismatched duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), a pair of sweet-faced con artists with their own plans for zombie survival.

The comic rapport between the leads and the script's fast and furious one-liners go a long way toward livening up a road trip that takes some fairly predictable detours. (The one exception — and the movie's best sequence — is such a sneaky delight, no critic with a conscience would dare spoil it; suffice it to say it involves an actor not seen in the trailers.) By the time the walking dead converge on our heroes for a climactic battle in an amusement park, it's clear that Zombieland has delivered exactly what it promised — no more, no less.

Whip It — Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with this comedy about a Texas teen (Ellen Page) who can't seem to fit in until she joins a rollerderby team. The quirky supporting cast includes Kristen Wiig as Malice in Wonderland and Nick and Norah scene-stealer Ari Graynor as Eva Destruction.

The Invention of Lying — In a parallel universe where everyone tells the truth at all times, one man gains an advantage when he suddenly develops the ability to lie. Ricky Gervais co-writes, co-directs and stars alongside a raft of comic talent, including Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., and Christopher Guest.

A Serious Man — The always unpredictable Coen Brothers shift gears again with this introspective black comedy. There's no George Clooney or Brad Pitt to help boost the box office this time around, as a largely unknown cast headed by New York theater veteran Michael Stuhlbarg will be tasked with delivering that old Barton Fink feeling.