Zombieland: Double Tap: It's Not Dead on Arrival!

I'm going to start this review with a confession: I hadn't seen the first Zombieland until this summer. I had a desire to watch it, but I just never got the chance. I ended up really liking it. It was a fast-paced, really fun adventure. Double Tap came out ten years after the original, but for me, it was only a few months. Is it as good as the original or is it just another meh sequel? That's what I'm here to tell you.

Zombieland: Double Tap is directed by Ruben Fleischer and stars Woody Harrelson, Jessie Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Zoey Deutch. Life has been for the gang for the past ten years. Things change, however, when Little Rock (Breslin) runs off with a boy (Avan Jogia). Now, Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus (Eisenberg), and Wichita (Stone) have to go find her, while encountering new zombies and new survivors. With all of that out of the way, let's dive into the review!

I'll start by saying this, Double Tap is a lot of fun, just like it's predecessor. It may not be as good as the first, but it was still fun. So many zombie flicks are dark and depressing, but not the Zombieland films. They're not afraid to have fun. The main thing I liked about this movie was the cast, both returning and new. It feels like the gang has been with each other for the past ten years. The way they riff off of each other is very natural and never felt forced. They were hysterical and I really liked how they have become a family. The standout is Tallahassee, who is absolutely hysterical in this movie, just like the previous installment. There's a scene when he finds out that Little Rock has left with a pacifist that is just amazing. It's not just the old characters that are great, but the new cast is awesome too. The best one is Madison (Deutch), a girl who has been surviving the apocalypse by living in a freezer. She's pretty much a dumb blond, but Deutch does a fantastic job of playing her. She was a show stealer. Unlike the other character, she was pretty bubbly and upbeat. This led to some very funny interactions with the gang, particularly Tallahassee and Wichita. She's not the only new character. Rosario Dawson plays Nevada, an owner of an Elvis-themed hotel. She's pretty much in the movie for Tallahassee and she does a great job in the role. If we get a third film, it'll be really fun to see how all of these characters interact even further. Another thing that I really dug was the action. Don't get me wrong, this really isn't an action film, but when the zombie fighting starts, it's awesome. The zombies are killed in pretty unique ways and it was really funny to watch. I also really liked the humor. Each character has their own style: Columbus is very self-deprecating, Wichita has a very dry sense of humor, and Tallahassee doesn't care who he offends. They were all hysterical and hadn't lost any of the charm from the first movie.

My issues with this movie are the same issues I had with Deadpool 2, which was written by the same people. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning and kept wondering when things would pick up. Like Deadpool 2, there were scenes that took a joke and dragged it out for way too long. There's one scene that comes to mind. It was in the trailers so it's not really a spoiler. Tallahasse and Columbus meet two guys who are pretty much replicas of them. At first it's pretty funny: Tallahassee is mean to his doppelganger, Albuquerque (Luke Wilson) and vice versa. Columbus is pretty nice to his doppelganger, Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch). Like I said earlier, it's pretty funny at first. The only issue is that it goes on for a good five more minutes and it quickly loses it's charm. This was a problem I had with Deadpool 2. This movie was also pretty predictable. There were several moments where I guessed exactly what was going to happen. Some scenes just don't add anything to the movie. One scene in particular comes to mind. The only purpose is really had was to introduce a new type of zombie. Another issue I had was with Abigail Breslin. Her performance is really good, it's just that she doesn't have much to do, except for meeting a boy. It was a little disappointing.

To sum everything up, Zombieland: Double Tap, while not as good as the first, is still a lot of fun. The cast is great, their chemistry is off-the-charts, the humor works really well, the new characters are awesome, and the action is really cool. The movie is held back by poor pacing in the beginning, some of the jokes drag on a bit too long, some scenes aren't necessary, it can be a little too predictable, and Abigail Breslin doesn't have a lot to do. With all of that being said, I still really liked the movie. If I were to rate it, I'd give Zombieland: Double Tap an 8/10. Also, be sure to stay through the credits. There's a mid-credits sequence that's just amazing. The end one is pretty funny too.