Zombieland: Double Tap Movie Review: The Sequel Isn’t Bad, Just A Watered-Down Retread

Zombieland: Double Tap (M18)

Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Zombieland: Double Tap isn’t so much a sequel, but a ‘requel’ — part remake, part sequel — of the 2009 cult zomcom. Imagine a rock band asked to cover their own song but with some lyric change here and an extra beat there: same same but different.

The plot: WWZ survivors Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, (played by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone, respectively) hit the road to search for Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who’s wandered off to a guns-free, hippie commune called Babylon.

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'Zombieland: Double Tap': Thomas Middleditch and Luke Wilson are new to the franchise.

Along the way, they encounter a resilient breed of z-monsters nicknamed T-800 (nerds will know the link between Zombieland scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese and Terminator: Dark Fate); the badass owner of a kitschy Elvis Presley-themed hotel (Rosario Dawson); a callback to Bill Murray’s cameo in the first instalment; and Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch as bizarro counterparts of Tallahassee and Columbus.
The banter and squabbling, meta humour, and zombie-slaying action still delight but lack the vigour and freshness of the original; fans might enjoy it in a watered down sort of way. In other words: It's a bit underwhelming. (***)
Photos: Sony Pictures Entertainment