Some sequels made today are desperately needed: this one, not so much. Some sequels made today are definitely wanted: this one, very much so. But the rarest thing for a sequel nowadays to be is deserved. Zombieland: Double Tap is the perfect example of a deserved sequel that hits all of the perfect notes. This is a film that audiences have been waiting a decade for and even all this time later, nothing feels different. This, due in part to the original writers and director returning, was the greatest thing about the entire movie. Watching this misfit band of characters and their iconic adventures has been so integral to the horror-comedy genre and this film really just feels like returning home to visit family. The only difference this time around, though, is that there are a few new faces joining said family. This movie is the textbook definition of a good sequel: continuing everything that made the first so great while incorporating some fresh elements to make it stand on its own.
Zombieland: Double Tap takes place years after the events of the first as Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) have become their own sort of dysfunctional family. Traveling around the country from landmark to landmark, they settle in the White House until Little Rock meets a pacifistic boy from Berkeley and they run off in search of a safe haven. Determined to rescue her, the three set out on another undead adventure across the apocalyptic American wasteland. This movie, or even the first Zombieland, might not exactly be everyone's cup of tea, but they have really become my guilty pleasure at this point. Whether it's because of the nostalgia of seeing the first one with my dad as a kid or just the lovable atmosphere, I will always be entertained. The element of this film that makes it so easy to jump into, whether or not you've even seen the first, is its reliability. The quality of the two films is indistinguishable, mostly because of the passion for this world from the returning writers and director. Ruben Fleischer might not be an outstanding or notable filmmaker, but he is definitely able to transition these stories together without missing a beat. In terms of its script, this is such a perfect sequel because it adds new faces, new locations, and has just the right amount of callbacks from the first without being too repetitive or annoying about it. Fleischer and his crew know exactly what makes these characters and their stories so lovable and they are not afraid to capitalize on that in this sequel. While the script itself is generic and doesn't have much to say about anything, it really doesn't need to. Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap just evoke pure joy and despite their slight forgettability, you couldn't ask for a better franchise of undead comedy.
With reliability and a fanbase large enough to support it, however, comes an unavoidable feeling of laziness in regards to the plot. Having nothing to say in your film leads the way to clichés and in this film's case, it hit them all. It's only been a day or so but I've basically forgotten about the majority of what happens throughout this movie. Which is in no way a bad thing, as that occurs with many other, much worse films. It's just that I have come to be so comfortable with this world that it just felt a bit throwaway at times. This story was practically a cut and paste of the first film, just with different dialogue, developed humor, and different characters. That said, the new additions to this world and their overall chemistry are undoubtedly fantastic. Eisenberg, Harrelson, Stone, and Breslin make such an excellent team and their closer bonds in this film as compared to the first is so evident. This led the way for some great relationships between the characters and better-developed motivations for them too. The absolute standout, however, has to be franchise newcomer Zoey Deutch as the preppy Madison. I adore Deutch in all of the films she does, as she always has such radiant energy about her. From the trailers, however, I was worried that her character would be overly archetypal or reliant on dumb humor. Thankfully, her performance outdid any of my previous expectations. While the character of Madison was indeed annoying and purposely so, Deutch surprised me with how dedicated and charismatic she stayed for this film's entirety. Her character was almost required to make this movie work and her integral performance fulfilled that completely. Throw in some expectedly great comedic writing and another (yes, another) cameo from Bill Murray and this film turns out to be one of the most solid sequels of this year.
Zombieland: Double Tap is another entry into this hilarious world that I will not soon forget. Even though it is structured and executed as a near carbon copy of the first, there is no denying that audiences will adore this new addition. I loved seeing these characters and this world again and there will be no stopping me from seeing the inevitable third one upon its release. Let's just hope that it doesn't take another ten years.
My Rating: ★★★★
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