Movie Review: Zombieland: Double Tap

I’ve got zombies on my brain today. (Pun intended). First the review of Little Monsters, now Zombieland: Double Tap.

Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock survived 10 years of the zombie apocalypse that brought them together to begin with, but can they survive Little Rock’s coming of age?

That’s the premise for this one, which was kind of cute in its own way. But does it actually work?

It’s taken me about a month to digest my feelings about it. As a general rule, sequels are disappointing. But, rules are meant to be broken and Zombieland: Double Tap did it.

Is it as good as the first? I wouldn’t go that far. It is a continuation of the first though, with the introduction of a couple new characters –as well as a new “breed” of zombie.

Like the human survivors, the zombies have adapted to the new world. Some are becoming stronger, faster, and harder to kill.

There’s also a utopia of sorts that crops up, which is where Little Rock think she wants to live with her new beau. But of course, utopias are never what they’re cracked up to be. Neither are first loves.

Will the group reunite and become a happy little zombie ass kicking tribe of their own again, or is it time for them to branch out, meet new people and go their separate ways?

What Made It Fun

I found myself in Chicago on a cold, snowy afternoon and decided to take a Ferris Bueller afternoon off to skip down to the theater that was a block away from my hotel to catch a weekday afternoon matinee.

The theater was not crowded at all. Only five of us: three singles and one couple. A lady at the other end of my row started it by talking to the screen.

Normally I get annoyed when people talk in theaters, but this lady was hilarious. Soon, all of us were laughing at both the jokes on screen and this lady’s commentary. She was thoroughly enjoying the movie, and because of that it made it even more fun for me. (I’d be willing to bet for the other three people in there too.)

Also, it was fun to reconnect with these characters and see the new people they met up with. Zoey Deutch nailed “Madison,” Columbus’s brief new love interest. Her bubble headed blond shenanigans added silly humor, but still worked. Especially contrasted against Tallahassee and Wichita’s snark.

But mostly it was a pleasant surprise to share the theater with four other strangers who were also eager to see the sequel while staying out of the cold for a couple of hours.

Rating

It’s not quite as good as the first, but it’s not far off. It’s worth four out of five skulls, so that’s what I’m giving it.

Trailer

Spoiler Alert

They decide to stick together. You think friends and family are precious now? They are. But even in a zombie apocalypse one can question that and need reminding that ties that bind are precious –and also can come in handy for survival.