‘Zombieland: Double Tap’

By carolinianweb on October 30, 2019 • ( 0 )

Roni Martinez
Staff Writer

Yes, it did take ten years for the ‘Zombieland’ sequel to come out, but some may like to think of this wait as merely aging the film like a fine wine. ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ has just recently been released, with the entire original cast reprising their roles for one more ride. Just as it has been ten years in our world, ten years have also passed in the universe of our beloved protagonists. Despite the times and what can be considered socially appropriate to say and do, the writers of the film did not allow their characters to undergo changes to adhere to these changing times.

‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ earned the rated R sticker, so its not exactly something to take the kids to, but if you want to see a feel good comedy with solid timing and appealing characters, and you and your buddies are or at least look seventeen, then ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ is a solid movie to catch.

As stated before, the tone in ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ does not stray too far from that of the original. The way the mood and characters are written feels like the movie could have been released two years after the original. Even the movie posters share the same style. Two characters in particular are interesting to bring up in this regard, and they are Tallahassee and Madison. Tallahassee is a character that we don’t see too often in movies nowadays. He’s gritty and tough; a real mans man. The writers decided to do him justice by staying true to his character, and not adjusting him for the current cinematic climate.

One of the new characters who stands out in the best way possible, is Madison. Madison’s character is the hyperbolized version of the typical dumb and pretty blonde girl. But her lines and timing are brilliant and thrive alongside a vastly contrasting character such as Tallahassee. She stands out in several ways from the main protagonists, in that she directly states that she has been mostly hiding away from zombies during the zombie apocalypse. Even her name sticks out, as it could be referencing Madison, Wisconsin, but is more likely to be her given name.. Despite these differences though, Madison manages to survive in the face of great adversity of the film. Perhaps this is commentary by the writers about how clashing views and methods can come together as one, and ultimately prevail in times of trouble.

The writers make it very clear how aware they are of the ten year difference between the first and second film. A lot of things have changed in the world in the last ten years, politics have ramped up, societal norms have been turned on their head, all things that have not taken place in the fictional universe of ‘Zombieland’. So the writers decide to play on this fact and poke fun at ideas and things that would be acceptable in society today, but not so much ten years ago. Very simple jabs, but also clever and very fun to pick out on your own.

The film succeeds greatly as a comedy, with that classic garnish of a feel good movie as well. You care for these characters, especially if you have seen the original, and want them to overcome their conflict. The pacing fits the film well and doesn’t take any weird turns. And the jokes themselves usually hit home every time. You got the diverse set of characters who don’t have much in common, but ultimately can come together despite their differences and splatter large amounts of zombie brains. The film clocks in at about an hour and forty minutes, eliminating the feeling of the movie dragging on needlessly.

One other thing to note is how impressive the action scenes in this film were. They go further than just shooting a few zombies in the head to create a feeling of accomplishment for the characters. They come up with roles for different types of zombies and different game plans for each of them. And they pull off one of the better one-shot scenes in recent memory.

For a film that knows how seriously to take itself, it does a good job of delivering solid jokes and keeping the tone lighthearted in such a violent universe, filled with the undead.