Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Ten years after the original Zombieland film, the sequel finally hits screens around the world. And yes, all your favourite characters are back for a whole new adventure.

It has indeed been ten years since the events of the first film (as we hear in the opening narration, a lot has changed in the intervening years). The zombies - yes, they are still around - have continued to evolve and develop over the years, and there are now four particular sub-species (for want of a better word) of zombies, each of them with their own strengths and weaknesses, that our slightly mismatched foursome have learned to deal with in order to survive.

The whole original team is back: Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Each regular human in this new society is known only by their hometown - in the same way as the first film - as a way of maintaining some form of anonymity, and not allowing yourself to get too close to anyone, in case any of them turn, and have to be eliminated.

L-R: Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), Wichita (Emma Stone), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg).

Columbus still adheres strictly to his ‘rules’ for survival, and has managed to get the others to agree to follow them as well. It is perhaps for this reason that they have managed to survive as long as they have in such a dangerous environment.

As the film begins, the team have recently settled into a new ‘home’ at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. That’s right, the White House (which allows for plenty of presidential-related humour, but also plenty of interesting historical information about plenty of former Presidents).

After Wichita and Little Rock take off on their own again - still refusing to remain tied down to the others - Tallahassee and Columbus, after spending the day at the mall, picking up a few more supplies, meet another human as yet uninfected. The girl, named Madison (Zoey Deutch), is a blonde airhead (as Tallahassee remarks, the only reason she hasn’t been attacked by zombies yet is because zombies feed on brains, and she doesn’t have any!).

Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Nevada (Rosario Dawson).

There are a whole host of other human characters that we meet for the first time in this film: Little Rock’s new ‘boyfriend’ Berkeley (Avan Jogia), and potential allies Nevada (Rosario Dawson), Albuquerque (Luke Wilson) and Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch).

I’ll leave the plot there, because I’m sure you’ll want to discover it for yourself. If you enjoyed the first film, you will certainly enjoy this one: it is virtually identical in tone and feel to the original. The humour is just as present and frequent, with laughs at every turn. The level of violence is also just the same, so if you find such things distressing, perhaps this film isn’t for you. (I mention this because I know of a few friends who loved the humorous tone of the first film, but as soon as the gunshots started - which was only a few minutes in - had to abandon their decision to keep watching).

The screenplay, by Dave Callaham, Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick is very clever, with the aforementioned humour and violence laying the groundwork for an equally enjoyable film. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the film, allowing the viewer to simply sit back and enjoy the ride. The characters are all clearly defined, with plenty of backstory and background and development to round them out well.

Chung-hoon Chung’s cinematography is fantastic, with the same fast-paced shots you would be used to from the original. The pacing of the film overall is well executed, with events and circumstances coming at you at breakneck speed.

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Madison (Zoey Deutch).

I must make particular mention of the stunning production design. Martin Whist has done an incredible job of creating a post-apocalyptic world, right down to the very last detail. The White House and Graceland sets in particular are well designed and constructed, adding to the overall tone of the film.

The cast performances are good across the board. One of the clear standouts to my mind is newcomer - to this franchise, not to acting in general - Zoey Deutch. It actually takes a lot of work, and a lot of intelligence, to play a character as stupid as Madison; it is not as easy as it looks. And she does a brilliant job. Yes, the character is created by the screenwriters, but it is in her embodiment as the performer that she is brought to life in such a fantastic way.

Director Ruben Fleischer - who also directed the original - has made a sequel that certainly lives up to its predecessor. I wouldn’t say this film is better than the first one, but it is definitely as good as the first one was, and even that is a monumental achievement for any sequel. Again, if you enjoyed the first film, definitely check this one out; you’ll thank me.

8 out of 10.