Logan Sork Film Reviews
Zombieland: Double Tap
When the original Zombieland hit theaters back in 2009, the success of the film sparked conversation of a possible sequel, with the cast and crew being open to returning. As the years went by a sequel seemed less and less likely, especially since the primary cast had become higher caliber actors. As a fan of the original, I cannot tell you how excited I was when it was announced that the sequel was finally being made. I was beyond pumped to return to this world…then I saw the trailer, and something seemed off. It looked vastly inferior to the original, with most of the humor falling flat. Excitement turned to concern as I waited to see the film. Finally, after seeing it I can say that not only is it not terrible, it actually may be just as good as the first.
Zombieland: Double Tap is directed by Rueben Fleisher and once again stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone who are joined by Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Middleditch. The story picks up 10 years after the events of the first film, with our characters having grown into a little family. They take up residence in the abandoned White House and they continue to try and have normal lives. However, after pressure from Tallahassee (Harrelson) causes Little Rock (Breslin) to strike out on her own, the crew must leave their safe haven in order to find her and bring her back to safety.
My main concern involving this late sequel involved the comedy and its quality. Most comedy sequels have a knack for relying too much on gags from the original without adding anything new to the story. This was one thing that worried me about the film, especially given the lengthy amount of time that passed, would the comedy hold up? Thankfully, this film is just as funny as the first, if not slightly funnier. The writers come up with some great new comedic beats for our characters to hit as well as putting some clever spins on gags form the original.
It also tries out new routines every other scene, meaning if one thing isn’t working for you, the next scene may have something you might like, without hurting the flow of the overall narrative. Still, this film does have a couple of lulls you have to sit through, but so did the first one. This film is on the same quality level as the first one when it comes to comedy, and, considering it’s a ten year later sequel, I’d say that’s a miracle.
Another thing that still remains great after all of these years is the cast and characters they portray. I think it’s really cool that everyone from the original decided to come back to do this film after moving on to greater things. Had even just one of the leads left their dynamic would have not been the same. The chemistry these actors share with one another is just perfect, you really feel like they’ve grown as a family in the ten years since we’ve last seen them and it’s wonderful to watch.
The new characters are also surprisingly good, with the real standout being Zoey Deutch as the dumb blonde Madison. The film’s promotional material made her look like a really annoying character but she’s surprisingly likeable and adds a new flavor to the group’s dynamic. Rosario Dawson is equally entertaining as a somewhat female version of Harrelson’s character, leading to some great moments between the two.
As for the narrative of the film, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. It follows the structure of the original, placing our characters on a road trip across zombie-ridden America seeking out a fabled destination, the only difference being they are now seeking out a person as well. While the scenario is different they have enough fun action sequences and set pieces to take your mind off of it. And while there are some noticeable slow moments in the film, they are only in one portion of the story, meaning the rest is full steam ahead on this fun-filled zombie comedy.
I am so happy with how this film turned out! Yes, it really doesn’t do anything new with the story and there are some slow parts to the film. Overall, however, it really recaptures what made the original 2009 film so special. It has great writing, terrific performances and a lot of fun to be found. There are so many sequels that fail to be just as good as the original, but Zombieland: Double Tap succeeds in spectacular fashion.
8.5/10