Zombieland: Double Tap Review: A Comical Ride!

Sequel to the 2009 post-apocalyptic horror comedy, Zombieland, Zombieland: Double Tap directed by Ruben Fleischer is a classic example of an unnecessary sequel that ended up being enjoyable for what it is. With the original cast returning to their respective characters, the sequel also stars Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson and others as the supporting characters in 100-minute entertainer which flew by at warp speed.

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Ten years after the incidents of the first movie, the world is pretty much the same, an abandoned wasteland still powered with electricity. The zombies are now categorized depending on their abilities by the four-person gang, who are now well bonded with each other. Colombus and Wichita are now a happy couple sharing a bed in the White House, Little Rock and Tallahassee now have an irritable father-daughter relation as things seem ordinary between them. Sooner than later, when things go south, the band set out on a road trip in a threatening environment as rumours keep blazoning abroad that a new “Terminator-Esque” zombie is in-town, seeking for blood.

Despite the glaring negatives in Zombieland: Double Tap, which I will discuss later on in the review, Ruben Fleischer did a decent job by taking all the aspects which worked in the first movie and implementing them well throughout in the second film. The amusing comedic scenes were responsible for the majority of delightful moments in the film as they’re adjusted adequately from the beginning till the end. The action sequences were limited but served the purpose of appealing to the audience member. And the movie was well-paced and benefited from being only 100 minutes long.

Furthermore, similar to Zombieland (2009), the narrative of Zombieland: Double Tap is very much correlative and the plot, by and large, is non-existent. New characters were introduced to more or less spice-up the movie a bit, but their presence only dented the quality and did not feel nearly necessary. Having said that, from the group of newly introduced roles, Zoey Deutch is a complete stand-out sporting the happy-go-lucky, cute-girl attitude all through the runtime. Her performance felt like a breath of fresh air, and she provided a few good laughs, which are funny.

The four lead characters, as I stated before, had a fruitful relationship built between them to some extent and a few brief scenes showcased from time to time felt heartwarming to watch. Moving on to the performances, Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson continued to share good chemistry with one and other. And they portrayed their characters with ease.

Watching Emma Stone act in a commercial film actually felt refreshing as she now branched out to work in Independent and Oscar-worthy movies. Her character as the only sane person in the group is a step up from the previous film, and she did not disappoint whatsoever. Abigail Breslin, who is only left with limited screentime and a minimal role to play did not have much of a chance to leave a good impression among the audience.

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Overall, Zombieland: Double Tap didn’t have to be a sequel to the first film as there is nothing unique to explore in a world filled with zombies, which ultimately get slaughtered by the lead cast every time. But, at the same time, I didn’t mind watching this movie and appreciating for what it is. A comical one-hour-forty-minute ride steered by a charming cast, a few humorous comedic bits and witty action scenes. Even though the negatives did not make this movie as perfect as the first one, it is still watchable if you’re willing to shut down your brain for the evening, kick back, and enjoy with an open mind.

Rating – 3/5 | Grade – B

Images via Columbia Pictures