A Reel Review - ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP

In 2009, director Reuben Fleischer gave the tired old zombie-genre the shot to the head it needed with his action-comedy ZOMBIELAND. It was chock full of fun characters, witty dialogue, and all the blood and gore any zombie-craver could ask for. Ten years have passed since our first visit to that Earth where humans can hunt or be hunted by the walking dead. A lot has changed since then, but a lot hasn’t. Enter ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP. 

Some years after the events of the first film, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), and her big sister Wichita (Emma Stone), take up residence in the abandoned White House while zombies continue to evolve and massacre surviving humans. 

Sequels can be tricky, as a follow-up needs to stay loyal to what came before while exploring new territory. Where the first ZOMBIELAND spent time with our foursome of strangers uniting together to battle and survive, DOUBLE TAP’s main plot involves them splitting apart and finding their way back together. Little Rock is antsy and eager to spend time with people her own age, while Wichita gets cold feet when Columbus starts talking marriage. In the meantime, Tallahassee is getting cabin fever and just wants to be out on the road again. Things get even more complicated when Columbus falls in with an air-headed blonde named Madison (Zoey Deutch), who falls for him instantly. 

Fleischer played with a family dynamic in the first film, and this time he takes it to the next level. The foursome are written as a dysfunctional, yet loyal family…and it really works. There’s a central theme of “attachment” at work; in this world, where food, transport, and weapons are scarce, not becoming attached can be key to survival, but as our characters learn, attachment can work to their advantage. To get there, all the characters go through their own arcs, and it moves the film along well. 

The pacing is brisk and fun, the humor as witty as it was in the first film, and the zombie kills a glorious splattering of crimson and guts. A few gag scenes feel like they drag on a little too long, but action sequences are a thrill, with a big dust-up in an Elvis-themed motel a major highlight. The film leans more towards action and comedy with the occasional splatter, and only in a few places does it dip into its horror roots. 

Acting is great as the cast really seems to buy into their characters and are having a blast. Woody Harrelson is a ton of fun and shows again just how fearless he can be, while Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone put together some effective, sentimental scenes together. Abigail Breslin gets more to do this time around and handles it well, and Zoey Deutch is hilarious. The supporting cast is great all-around; Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, and Bill Murray (!). 

After one hell of a final battle, DOUBLE TAP settles into a tight and nice ending, which feels like it could have used a bit more tragedy…but a happy ending is just fine in a film that is this much fun. It could have used a few more scares, but as a sequel it leans on what made the first film click so well while taking time to expand the world these characters inhabit. In ten years, the world has changed a-plenty, but ZOMBIELAND remains a place we just have to revisit. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it