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We went and saw Zombieland: Double Tap, and I was treated to a fabulous time! This franchise understands it’s audience and really ends up feeling like an excuse for famous actors to get together and have a blast making a movie – which, as it turns out, means a good time for everyone.
Zombieland: Double Tap is in theaters right now.
Zombieland: Double Tap Synopsis
Zombieland: Double Tap isn’t a very deep movie that requires much in the way of explanation or critical analysis. It’s a fun time. Our lovable characters from the first movie are all back, living their lives in Zombieland and kicking ass. The controversy in this story starts with Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) proposing to Wichita (Emma Stone), which creates a rift in their relationship due to Wichita’s inability to be close. She and Little rock leave the family with only a note to explain their departure. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus are floored.
While on the run with Wichita, Little Rock (Abigail Breslen), the youngest of this adoptive family, decides that post-pubescence is pointless without a cute boy to bang, so she leaves the safety of her family and ventures into Zombieland with a cute boy from Berkley, called…Berkley. The gang decides that they have to go after her, and this is the basis for most of the movie.
There are some great cameos and new characters who add quite a bit in the way of entertainment, like the stunning and hilarious Madison (Zoey Deutch) and the strangely Woody Harrelson-esque Albuquerque (Luke Wilson).
Zombieland: Double Tap Review
Zombieland: Double Tap is easy to watch and is great at what it tries to be – fun, funny, over-the-top action, with a little bit of sex thrown in. It’s got great writing, the dialog in-particular is spot on, and the jokes are top tier. If you like guns, the use of guns, explosions, laughing, sex, and witty banter, you will have a blast, especially in the theater. The world that they build is also convincingly zombie-like, so there is that.
I had a fun time with all the theoretical stuff that you dream about if you constantly dream about a zombie hellscape. Want to live in the White House? Cool! Want to propose with the Hope Diamond? Alright! Want to shoot first and ask questions later? Neat!
Watch Zombieland: Double Tap
On Amazon
Double Tap may not be the most artistic or scary movie this year; in fact, it’s barely got any scares at all. But it is tons of fun.
Weirdly, this is the second zombie movie in 2019 that Bill Murray has been in, the other being The Dead Don’t Die.
Score
8/10
Zombieland Double Tap Spoilers
Click to Expand Spoilers
This movie does not try to be anything it’s not. It wouldn’t be fair to say that it’s not a smart movie, because the dialog and the banter all are at least clever, and at best they are quite funny. It doesn’t have much in the way of a noteworthy story, though, which didn’t really bother me. A heavy story would have been in the way of the things that make this movie work.
With that being said, there isn’t much to spoil about this movie, and to do a rundown of the plot would end up looking like me trying to explain the plot to a monster truck show, or a wrestling match. Instead, here is a list of fun things that work and don’t work within Zombieland: Double Tap.
Fun Stuff That Works
Zombieland Rules
The rules that Columbus comes up with make sense and always come with an example so that you can apply it to your zombie experience. These function as running gags and are perhaps the reason why the first movie did so well. The most comprehensive list of rules from the first movie that I can find is:
- Cardio
- The Double Tap
- Beware of Bathrooms
- Wear Seat Belts
- No Attachments
- The “Skillet”
- Travel Light
- Get a Kick-Ass Partner
- With your Bare Hands
- Don’t Swing Low
- Use Your Foot
- Bounty Paper Towels
- Shake it Off
- Always carry a change of underwear
- Bowling Ball
- Opportunity Knocks
- Don’t be a hero (later crossed out to be a hero)
- Limber Up
- Break it Up
- It’s a marathon, not a sprint unless it’s a sprint, then sprint
- Avoid Strip Clubs
- When in doubt Know your way out
- Ziplock
- Use your thumbs
- Shoot First
- A little sunscreen never hurt anybody
- Incoming!
- Double-Knot your Shoes
- The Buddy System
- Pack your stain stick
- Check the back seat
- Enjoy the little things
- Swiss Army Knife
Rules that Double Tap added that I found in this movie are:
- Enjoy the little things
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help
- Wet naps
The Jokes
Man, I belly laughed more than I care to admit during this movie. Double Tap has that intoxicating effect of sweeping you up in the action, excitement, and fun that lends itself to easy laughs.
Madison is more than just a breathtaking beauty, her comedic timing along with the way she plays a vapid valley girl who has managed to survive Zombieland for so long makes her one of the best parts of this movie for me.
The Guns and the Action
Look, I’m not an action movie guy. I don’t own guns, but I do have a blast shooting them, and I was raised a red-blooded American male. The amount of badassery that takes place in this movie is off the charts. Cool slow-mo montages, Metallica, Gatling guns, heads being ripped apart – it’s awesome.
Stuff That Doesn’t Work
Bryce didn’t like the slow start of the movie. It worked quite well for me, and it reminded me of a book that was trying to catch you up on the previous installment.
There isn’t much in the way of a story here, and what is present is a shitshow as far as continuity or, you know, making logical sense. But zombies are roaming the earth, and beautiful actors are the only ones that lived so, it’s not like it needs to make tons of sense.
Final Recommendations for Zombieland: Double Tap
If you don’t care too much about being scared, or dislike being scared, this is for you. If you love action and jokes and guns, welcome home.
Fan Love From Sweden!
Magnus is a long-time fan of the show and he is from Sweden – the land that America can’t stop dreaming about. He wanted some Horror Movie Talk stickers, but we figured that the shipping would cost a lot so we sent him the graphic to print out his own stickers.
Well, he kind of did that and sent us some pics of our logo way across the pond! This is him and his siblings at their annual Halloween party. This year it was zombie themed. Thanks Magnus, we love you, buddy!
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