It really HAS been ten years since “Zombieland” was released and not just a bit that Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) works in the opening voiceover for it’s follow-up, “Zombieland: Double Tap,” and the crew is back for more shenanigans! This time around, Columbus is still hunting the undead with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) while travelin’ and livin’ on the land. (Bonus points if you know that reference.)
Taking up residence in the White House as the zombie population continues to grow and, in come senses, evolving. With mounting cabin fever and Little Rock simply wanting to be a young woman, she and Wichita take off on their own adventures while Tallahassee and Columbus simply try to make sense of it all. Fast forward a month, and Wichita comes back to let the guys know that Little Rock has taken off on her own with a young man named Berkley (Avan Jogla) for a place more peaceful and full of millennials, and with new friend Madison (Zoey Deutch) in tow, they go after them while a new breed of bigger, faster, and stronger zombies hunt them.
What I really dig about “Zombieland: Double Tap” is that while those who saw the first film will be able to pick up (kind of) right where they left off, those who have not will not be lost AT ALL. This story stands on its own versus being too reliant on what came before it by helping keep its entire audience up to speed as the story unfolds while updating its mythos (i.e. – Columbus’ rules, the relationships between the four main characters).
The humor also abounds here just as much if not more than its predecessor. With appearances by Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Middleditch (the last two’s scenes were amongst the highlights for me), this is straight chaotic fun from the opening frames until the lights come up afterwards. The gore is at a minimum, so even a wuss like myself could get through everything without wincing or covering my eyes.
These are the kinds of “horror” movies that I can get into. Sure, there is a jump scare here and there, but nothing that doesn’t really telegraph itself before it happens. “Zombieland: Double Tap” is simply a good time to spend at the movies with your friends to laugh, cheer, and just enjoy about an hour and a half.