I’d like to briefly take a moment to reflect on how long it’s been since the first Zombieland movie, and where I was at when it came out. 10 years ago. I was only 16, not even old enough to go see an R rated movie yet (although a friend and I managed to convince someone to get us tickets for Zombieland, of course). I was still just in my junior year of high school. I was in my first year of truly taking up writing reviews as a hobby, which you can see reflected by my writing style in my review of the first Zombieland movie. The Walking Dead TV series, which really propelled zombies back into mainstream media, HADN’T EVEN STARTED YET, and now 9 whole seasons have premiered in the time between Zombieland 1 and 2. It’s crazy to think just how much time has passed since the first Zombieland movie, which makes it even crazier to say that the long-awaited sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, manages to capture the exact same spirit as the original movie did and deliver a really great sequel.

Since we’re following the same set of protagonists in Double Tap, naturally the movie takes place in “real time,” being set 10 years after the original movie. By this point, our heroes have really started to have their zombie-killing game locked down, and so they’re much more equipped to fight them. That hasn’t eliminated them as a threat, though, since the zombies have now started to evolve in the last 10 years, and so some are way more advanced than others. There are now different “classes” of zombies, with some having a much higher threat level than others. Still, at the beginning of the movie, the problems that the protagonists face are much more internal than zombie-related. Columbus wants to settle down with Wichita, Wichita fears permanent domesticity, Tallahassee is starting to feel the call to be a lone wolf again, and Little Rock (now a full adult) wants to leave the nest and find some people her own age. The last of these problems is the conflict that really propels the plot of the movie forward, as Little Rock runs away, and the other three go after her.

While Zombieland: Double Tap does mostly give us more of the same, there are some new elements to it that make it still feel fresh. I already mentioned the different classifications of zombies, which makes for some really fun moments, especially later in the film. There are a class known as the T-800s that are the most evolved forms yet, and these manage to raise the threat level for the group in an interesting way. Outside of that, though, it’s the new characters that are introduced in the movie that help it to feel fresh. The main two additions here are Madison and Nevada, but there are a few others that appear in a more minor capacity that are really fun too. Both Madison and Nevada are great characters, though, and each bring something welcome to the sequel.

Other than this, Double Tap is one of those sequels that really only sets out to give us more of the same. This isn’t a knock against the movie though. Zombieland is one of my favorite zombie movies of all time, and so I was extremely excited to get to jump back in this world again. The fact that Double Tap sets out to recapture the spirit of the first movie is all I really needed to enjoy it again. Fortunately, this makes my job of reviewing the movie much easier. All I really have to say is that if you liked the first movie, you’re likely going to like this as well, and same thing goes for if you didn’t like it. Like myself, many fans of Zombieland have been hoping for a sequel ever since the first movie came out, and so it’s very fortunate that the follow-up didn’t disappoint, after all this time. And sure, I will admit that Zombieland: Double Tap definitely isn’t on quite the same level as the first movie, but truthfully I didn’t expect it to be. The closest comparison that comes to mind is with Ghostbusters 1 and 2. Both are great movies, but the first movie is perfect, while the second movie is just great. Double Tap met my expectations for what a Zombieland sequel should be, and even if it’s not quite the zombie-comedy masterpiece that the first movie was, it’s still a great sequel that’s worth watching.

4/5