10/19: Zombieland: Double Tap

Over the weekend I got all kinds of behind; watched movies, but didn't have time to write reviews. Doing rock climbing competitions will do that to ya I guess.

10/19: Today's movie was the first horror comedy of the month, the long awaited Zombieland 2: Double Tap.  I remember seeing the first Zombieland my freshman year of college and absolutely falling in love. It was part of the zombie comedy trend in the 2000s that had been kicked off by Shaun of the Dead (a masterpiece), yet Zombieland didn't fall victim to the trend; rather, it added so much to it. Zombieland had attitude, a killer soundtrack, an even more killer cast, and a sense of humor that bended the genre just enough. I mean, c'mon, the Bill Murray section alone. Gold I tells ya. Gold.

Which brings me to the aptly titled Zombieland: Double Tap. Released nearly ten years to the day after the original and named after the all-important Rule #2, the Zombieland sequel made us wait a long time for it. My biggest worry going into it was that, after ten years of waiting, the tone of the original wouldn't have a place in today's world. I'm happy to say that I was wrong on that count, but was a Zombieland sequel necessary? More on that later.

Zombieland 2 feels like more of the same from what the original gave us, which isn't inherently a bad thing. The soundtrack rips (Metallica is used to great effect once again), the jokes are hilarious, the kills are glorious, and the characters are still just as lovable. I was thoroughly entertained the whole time all the way through the credits (trust me, stay through the credits) and it felt like coming home to a warm, familiar bed. It's cozy and feels lived in.

So, what's the problem? Well... there's nothing new here. The experience of watching Double Tap is essentially the same as watching the first Zombieland. Expectations aren't undercut, but they aren't really exceeded either. It leaves one with a feeling of questioning whether the movie is necessary. Honestly, though, even if it wasn't? I can't argue with a fun movie. After ten years, maybe that's what Double Tap needed to be, a reminder of why we liked the first one so much. Maybe it doesn't need to be groundbreaking in the same way the first one was. Maybe, in this case, a simple retread is enough.

8/10