My well-documented resistance to sequels is heightened when it feels like it was rushed to get out there because of the success of the first film. Films like “Ghostbusters” and “Caddyshack” are those whose sequels just didn’t make the grade; however films like “Aliens” took their stories to a new and better level. With “Zombieland: Double Tap,” it’s actually been ten years, so maybe there is some hope here.
Directed by the returning Ruben Fleischer the main cast is back in Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers), Emma Stone (La La Land) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Signs) while adding Zoey Deutch (The Professor), Rosario Dawson (Rent), Luke Wilson (Old School, Avan Jogia (Shaft) and Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley). The film also takes place ten years after the last one left off, with Tallahassee (Harelson), Columbus (Eisenberg), Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin) still together as a group and taking residence in the White House, hunting zombies as they have now evolved into different types of the undead. Columbus and Wichita are still a couple and Tallahassee has become somewhat of a father figure to Little Rock, but life has gotten stale for her, and she just wants to do the things girls her age do. One morning, Little Rock and Wichita simply take off, and after a month passes, Tallahassee and Columbus meet up with the dim-witted Madison (Deutch), who ends up staying with them much to Tallahassee’s chagrin. After Wichita returns and tells the crew that Little Rock as taken off with a young man named Berkeley (Jogia), they take off together to rescue her while zombies are still on the loose and after them.
“Zombieland: Double Tap” has the same style and look as the original, but I liked that this film is uses more of the visual graphics like the “rules” coming on the screen in the background, where they actually get a character of their own. It still has great cinematography style, showing how cities and structures can decay over time when nature takes back over in real good way. I also liked seeing the relationships of the characters build, especially with Little Rock getting older and wanting to fly the coop, and new cast such as Dawson and Jogia do well in fitting in with their characters for the story, adding their uniqueness and fitting the characters well. My shout has to go to Deutch, who was amazing playing the ditzy millennial to a tee, irking Wichita and Tallahassee.
The plot is basically an extended version of the first after a quick intermission and does not have any areas that drag. The big thing for me was (just like the original) the comedy was throughout the film and never got stale with new little twists, storylines, and characters that really enhanced the story. “Zombieland: Double Tap” still has the foundation of the original, but has its nuances which makes a great sequel, and like the original, is not for the little kids. With all of that, this film gets my coveted full price in the theaters recommendation.