‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ is a charming rerun but that's all

From left, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg in "Zombieland: Double Tap." Picture: Jessica Miglio/Columbia Pictures

From left, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg in "Zombieland: Double Tap." Picture: Jessica Miglio/Columbia Pictures

Published Nov 6, 2019

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Ten years after the release of the first "Zombieland", which added a breath of fresh air to the zombie genre with its humour and brutal zombie killings, comes "Zombieland: Double Tap". 

The question on everyone’s mind is will "Double Tap" live up to the quality of the first installment after so much has been added to the world of zombies.

"Double Tap" keeps the same atmosphere and see the return of the pinnacle characters of Tallahassee, Wichita, Little Rock, and Columbus, along with their respective bleak outlooks on post-apocalyptic life. 

The film keeps the feel of the original from from start to finish and has humorous and entertaining moments throughout. 

SA Nerd Force's review of "Zombieland: Double Tap". Video by Luther de Lange and Kritina Maharaj

An example includes the introduction of the Valley Girl stereotype, a woman known as Madison. Madison, portrayed by Zoey Deutch, charmingly reminds us of some of the character archetypes that existed 10 years ago. 

A variety of new characters have been introduced as well, played by Hollywood veterans such as Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Middleditch. Overall, it creates a fun, lighthearted joyride.

On the other hand, the focus on the main characters and because of the same atmosphere, "Zombieland: Double Tap" comes off as an attempt to profit off of the success of the first film .

While it’s entertaining, it lacks creativity, depth and relies on stale character archetypes from 2009. Only Deutch brings life to the role of Madison and keeps her interesting and relevant to 2019. 

Much of the second movie consists of repeated humour in an attempt to remind the audience how good the first one was. But a nostalgia trip should not cost money not should it be advertised as new content. 

The final issue lies in the fact that "Zombieland Double Tap" is not much of a zombie movie. The plot could be set in any other world. The interactions with zombies are limited and are an add on rather than the driving force behind the film. This creates no real tension and also limits the zombie-related gore fans have come to love. 

"Zombieland: Double Tap" is a good way to pass the time for fans of "Zombieland" and comedy films. But it's debatable whether it's worth the cinema fee due to the lack of depth and a large amount of quality competition. 6 out of 10. 

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