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Zombieland: Double Tap

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Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone in 'Zombieland: Double Tap'. (Greatstock/Splash)
Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone in 'Zombieland: Double Tap'. (Greatstock/Splash)

OUR RATING

4/5 Stars

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

Through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and through the heartland, four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since their first encounter, as well as some new human survivors. But, most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.

WHAT WE THOUGHT:

Zombieland is back, and this time around Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and his band of misfits are on the move again as they take on the walking dead.

The first instalment of this film hit the big screen in 2009 and was well received by audiences. Ten years later Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin are back for more.

Leaving the comfort of their new home, The White House, the team travel to Graceland in Memphis Tennessee in search of Little Rock (played by Abigail) who has hit the road in search of freedom.

Along the way, they encounter other survivors, and also discover a new type of zombie which seems to be smarter, faster, and near impossible to kill.

I must admit, whenever I've had to wait more than a decade for the second instalment to a good movie, I'm usually let down when it's finally released (looking at you, Incredibles 2). Perhaps that's because of the hype built up around it.

I suspect that's what made this movie so different for me – I had not been impatiently tapping my fingers on my desk for the past decade, waiting for the sequel to Zombieland, so I was able to judge it as a stand-alone piece.

I'm not a huge fan of gore myself, but the humour in this one distracted me enough to the point where I could let it slide without wincing too much. Side note: apparently zombies vomit a lot, so if you're squeamish, good luck.

If you've seen the first Zombieland, then you'll appreciate the little references here and there to that film. If not, don't worry too much, the plotline doesn't rely that heavily on the first flick, and the most you'll miss out on are a couple of inside jokes. 

I find that Jessie Eisenberg (who takes on the role of Columbus) and Emma Stone (who plays Wichita) have a very similar brand of humour – the sarcastic, smart-ass type – which delivered quite a few laughs.

Balancing that out perfectly was the introduction of a new girl, Madison, played by Zoey Deutch. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, Madison takes on the role of the ditzy blonde, which, while incredibly entertaining, felt a little overdone at times.

With the 10-year gap between the two movies, the actors have evolved, and so have their characters. While Columbus and Wichita look to what the future holds for their relationship, Tallahassee longs for the open road, and Little Rock, who is now all grown up, is in search of herself – dealing with all of this while fighting zombies makes for a pretty good adventure.

If you're looking for something for date night, then this movie fits the bill. It's got a great combination of comedy and gore and even a little bit of romance. But again, I must warn, don't forget the vomit. Lots of zombie vomit.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

WATCH IT NOW ON NETFLIX

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