In a world still ravaged by an undead upheaval, the foursome of Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock provide enough laughs and creative zombie kills to deem this sequel a success.
“Zombieland: Double Tap,” the follow-up to 2009’s “Zombieland,” is a film highlighted by its all-star cast who now gel together as a well-oiled, zombie-slaying, makeshift family.
Jesse Eisenberg (Columbus), Woody Harrelson (Tallahassee), Emma Stone (Wichita) and Abigail Breslin (Little Rock) carry the film, while the injection of fresh blood to the franchise from Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch and Luke Wilson adds more zest to the already stellar cast.
The beginning of the film follows the quartet looking for a place to call home. They eventually settle on the White House, abandoned but relatively untouched within its walls.
Family drama, not the hordes of the hungry undead, is what ends up causing the main conflict in the film.
Much like the first film, Columbus is constantly spewing his zombie apocalypse rules throughout the film such as cardio, enjoy the little things and of course, double tap.
While it can get repetitive because he also acts as the film’s narrator, his quirky and overly safe nature are also part of his charm as the character.
Tallahassee acts as cocky and boastful as ever and lives by the credo “nut up or shut up,” as the rest of the group remarks that he needs a new catchphrase throughout the film.
Sisters Wichita and Little Rock are still the powerful duo they were in the first movie and tie the group together with their wit and comedic jabs toward Columbus and Tallahassee.
The ancillary characters provided some new perspective in the apocalypse, but they also suffer from being stereotypically one-note.
Deutch, who plays Madison, is found by the group in a mall. She said she had survived the apocalypse so far by living in the freezer at Pinkberry, remarking it as very cold.
Her character is the quintessential dumb blonde trope in the film, and she constantly skirts the line of being too over-the-top, but ultimately works well with the rest of the group’s dynamic.
One of the movie’s strengths is the fan service provided via the constant callbacks to the first film.
The zombie kill of the week, which serves as a SportsCenter-esque highlight of a clever zombie kill from others living in the apocalypse, was featured again in the film.
Each one got some of the biggest laughs of the movie from the theater audience.
Although this film was great, I wouldn’t recommend this movie for anyone that hasn’t seen the first installment.
A first-time viewer of the franchise wouldn’t necessarily be lost in the story because it’s basically a romantic comedy in a zombie apocalypse, but the original sets the tone and the sequel builds on it.
This second installment doesn’t have a moment that reaches the highs of the cameo in the first film that delightfully caught every viewer off guard.
However, the camaraderie of the main cast and how their characters all play off of each other is what makes “Double Tap” work.
Viewers should also make sure to stay for the multiple post-credit scenes. I found myself wanting just a little more after the fade to black, and the post-credit scenes delivered in a big way.
