by Michael Frank
Zombieland: Double Tap doesn’t waste time telling you that you’re watching a zombie movie. The Columbia Pictures logo comes to life, fighting off multiple would-be enemies, leading to a Deadpool-esque opening credits sequence. It’s not new by any means, but it reminds you why you like zombie movies in the first place: they’re fun as hell.
The rest of the film follows its opening: an enjoyable movie-going experience with a lack of plot, a lack of originality, yet just enough movie stars, inside jokes, and heart to make it worthwhile. Double Tap follows our leads from a decade earlier, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), as they traverse the new-look world that’s still full of zombies. The actors themselves have aged nicely as well, with Harrelson, Eisenberg, Stone, and Breslin all maintaining prolific and award-winning careers. If anything, they’re more likeable than they were 10 years ago, an difficult feat for a cast to pull off. They bring their full arsenal of charisma to their roles in Double Tap, giving generous performances to a film that cares more about its world than its characters...
So time is actually on the sequel’s side. Those of us that loved the first film, and haven’t seen it recently, still have a vague memory of why we liked it so much. We remember that Columbus has a set of rules, but we’ve forgotten the particulars. The new plot is a lazy river of sorts, following the current, not moving towards any real destination or logical conclusion. Unfortunately, the plot, or lack thereof, doesn’t do the actors any favors by depriving them of any emotional or dramatic scenes. The subplots aren’t servicing any main storyline.
Harrelson and Eisenberg’s chemistry is still winning, though, and director Ruben Fleischer gives their banter plenty of attention. Stone and Breslin are scarcely used, as they bolt within the first 15 minutes of the film, only to be roped back into the fold later with smaller roles. The real scene-stealer comes in the form of Madison (Zoey Deutch), a valley girl discovered in a mall freezer. Deutch injects life into the story just as it begins to feel overplayed, from her character’s nut allergy to her constant optimism and annoyance of Stone’s Wichita.
Though the script is slapdash, the jokes niche (Variety, Robin Rogers, Portishead, Bob Dylan), and the relationships underdevelped, Double Tap was somehow 10 years in the making. The fan service is only enjoyable up to a point and only memorable for its ridiculousness instead of its storytelling or Terminator-like zombies. But the cast is too good to dislike the film, and Zombieland: Double Tap knows it, leaning hard on their charm. A happy ending was bound to come with Harrelson saving the day and Eisenberg delivering his signature lines about how “home is really the people you’re with, not any one place”. It's more of a remake than a sequel but you might look at it fondly anyway.
The film might be forgettable, but certain scenes are absurdly hilarious. Woody Harrelson’s Elvis obsession and subsequent impersonation is golden. The scene with Luke Wilson mirroring Harrelson and Thomas Middleditch mirroring Eisenberg was fantastic, and impossible not to enjoy. The best moment comes after the credits, so stick around. A very special comedian makes a cameo, one that you’re waiting for throughout the entire film. It’s the most original and most hilarious part of the film. Wade through Double Tap with all of its guts, gore, and gimmicks, and the end result is just barely worth it, the high note hit, just as you’re leaving the theater.