Friday, October 25, 2019

Movie Review: Zombieland: Double Tap

Patience is a virtue that isn't always easy to follow in a world where a Wi-Fi connection grants you access to an abundance of entertainment options. However, sometimes waiting for years upon years for a new entry in a series that you enjoy provides a highly rewarding payoff that justifies the pain that comes with enduring such a long wait. Zombieland: Double Tap is the latest title to prove the underrated merits of this increasingly prevalent industry practice.

A decade away from this undead wasteland drained not even an ounce of the non-stop goofy fun that made Zombieland stand out from other genre fare. In fact, given how natural and cohesive everything on screen feels, you would think Double Tap was made immediately after the original. The lovable leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) all enthusiastically step back into their roles as a smartass makeshift family whose bonds are tested after spending 10 years living in borderline isolation, all of the newcomers (Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch and scene-stealing MVP Zoey Deutch) fit perfectly into this offbeat, meta world and of course, there's a heaping helping of gleefully gory zombie carnage. Having a sequel recapture everything that made the predecessor great without feeling like a forced retread is a beautiful thing that I believe deserves to celebrated just as much as any other triumph in the world of movies.

Plain and simple, Zombieland: Double Tap is a god damn blast that is right on par with the original. It warms my heart that all of the key players (in addition to the aforementioned primary cast, director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also returned) were so eager to make a sequel happen and their passion-driven efforts are reflected in the quality of the product on screen. Stone reportedly suggested to Fleischer during the latter stages of filming on Double Tap that they try and get the band back together every 10 years. If these hypothetical future sequels ended up being as  irresistibly entertaining as the first two outings, I'd be 100% down to cap off every decade with a trip to Zombieland.   

Grade: A

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