Zombieland: Double Tap is released in a media landscape wildly different from the original. In 2009 we were in the middle of the zombie revival (ahem) in popularity – four years following Shaun of the Dead’s rampant success and four years before it’s conclusion with the very evocative The Last of Us on Playstation 3 in 2013. Notable pieces of popular culture had existed outside of this timeframe – 28 Days Later in 2002 was integral to the subgenre’s popularity leading up to Shaun. Even the godfather of zombies himself George A. Romero made Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007) and Survival of the Dead (2009) as his final entries into the zombie canon. It is important to understand the landscape in which 2009’s Zombieland was released in order to understand how well made the original was in order to have its cult status and staying power in such an oversaturated market. Zombieland released the same year as Avatar. Yeah, it was that long ago.
Is it worth seeing a sequel a decade after the original was released? Following director Ruben Fleischer’s fairly good showing from Venom, and with another laugh a minute script from original Zombieland and more recently Deadpool writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick Zombieland: Double Tap will please those who enjoyed the cult favourite original, whilst bringing enough laughs and humanity to the story to entice newcomers.
The story picks up with rule driven Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), sarcastic Wichita (Emma Stone), rebellious Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and cowboy Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) thriving in the sundered remnants of the United States following a zombie apocalypse. As the zombies around them evolve and become more challenging to deal with – so too do their relationships as their cobbled together family faces the biggest threat they’ve ever faced before – boredom, complacency and growing up.
It’s rare to see a sequel that not only lives up to the promise of the original, but also delights as much as the original did. Zombieland: Double Tap is not as well constructed as the original – indeed, the storyline is a little disjointed, and the story varies from plodding along to racing at breakneck speed. That being said, the charisma and chemistry between the actors really sells the interpersonal stories that the film places its real stock in. Despite the title (and prevalence of the flesh-eating undead), Zombieland: Double Tap is more about the trials and tribulations of family, ethical dilemma of rebounds in romantic relationships and growing pains of a makeshift family unit.
One of the biggest highlights of Double Tap are the cameos. Notable are those from Thomas Middleditch and Luke Wilson as doppelgangers of the main characters, as some of the funniest jokes in the movie. The best however is saved for the end of the film as the mid-credits stinger. Arguably, this is the best part of the entire movie. Letting any more slip would ruin the surprise. Trust me, you don’t want to leave this one early.
Ultimately – if you enjoyed the first, you’ll enjoy this. Newcomers may find some of the jokes fall flat, and some of the story beats a little jumbled – but ultimately this is a fun return to the zombie comedy genre, and well worth the price of admission for a fun night out.