In 2009 the zombie subgenre of horror films was reaching saturation point. The likes of 28 Days Later and Dawn of the Dead remake had introduced running zombies to us, and zombies had been successfully sent up in Shaun of the Dead. It then came as quite a surprise that there was still room in the stable for another young zombie buck. Zombieland was anarchic, fresh, and very funny. Originally pitched as a TV show, which it would later fail to become over at Amazon, the film was a brisk, under 90-minute, cult classic in the making. Fast forward 10 years and a sequel has finally emerged, though the question is, was anybody really asking for another stint in the land of the undead? Zombieland: Double Tap sets about trying to justify its own existence, and although there is fun to be had, it never feels as accomplished as its predecessor.
Sony Pictures
Picking up 10 years from the original, our weird family of Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) find themselves taking up residence in the White House. It doesn’t seem as though much has changed, with the group enjoying their zombie kills, Columbus and Wichita still together, and Tallahassee fawning over his automobile, The Beast. This changes when Little Rock expresses interest in meeting a boy and Columbus scares off Wichita with a marriage proposal. The sisters set out on the road, leaving the boys alone.
One month later and Wichita returns after Little Rock elopes with a stereotypical stoner pacifist, Berkeley (Avan Jogia). Returning for weapons, she discovers Columbus has recently met Madison (Zoey Deutch), a young ditzy blonde. They all head out together to reunite their “family”, whilst avoiding a new breed of almost unstoppable zombie known as the T-800. It’s simple, it’s punchy, and it can get a bit messy; and not just in terms of gore. Deutch is the best addition to the film, and close to being the best part of the entire film. Her performance as Madison is hilarious, while also having levels of complexity that the film sadly ignores for the most part and then puts to one side. Ironically, her character is one of the film’s biggest issues too.
Related: Watch the latest trailer for Zombieland: Double Tap
Madison and Columbus have a genuine chemistry, and she’s a refreshing change to the more sarcastic and biting characters. She also pulls her weight when it comes down to zombie attacks, and is a genuinely nice person. With the film’s obvious intention to reunite Wichita and Columbus by the end, it fails to express why these two should be together. Madison is so much fun that when the film decides to sideline her, it makes the rest of the characters become less likable and sometimes even cruel. Other members of the cast are wasted, such as Rosario Dawson’s Nevada, who is seemingly just there for Tallahassee to bunk up with. Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch’s doppelganger turns as Albuquerque and Flagstaff – a duo reminiscent of Tallahassee and Columbus – is thankfully short and sweet, but also highlights the film’s tendency to jump from sequence to sequence as it fears boring its audience.
Fan favourite jokes return, and are sometimes run into the ground, with repeated lines, situations, and so forth. They vary in their competence and necessity. Where director Ruben Fleischer, does turn up the heat is in the action sequences, which are thankfully well thought out and creative. 10 years ago Zombieland surprised by entering a saturated market and proving there is always room for a well thought out zombie film. Now, Zombieland: Double Tap doesn’t exactly hit the same heights, but doesn’t besmirch the good name either. It does the smart thing of keeping its runtime low, making for a fast paced film with little time to stop and think, but it also has funny sequences that don’t quite fit, repeated jokes that no longer work, new characters that aren’t given enough to do, dull new characters who should have never been there, and an ending that is fine, but doesn’t feel conclusive.
Zombieland: Double Tap is now on general release.
