The Popcorn Periodical
“Zombieland: Double Tap” is the Halloween movie we’ve been waiting for!
A decade after Zombieland became a horror cult classic, the lead cast (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone) have reunited with director Ruben Fleischer (Venom) and the original writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Deadpool) for Zombieland: Double Tap. The “Double Tap” in the title is a clever pun referring to “liking” or “hearting” things on social media but it’s also one of Jesse Eisenberg’s character’s rules to surviving Zombieland… Shoot them in the head… twice! Take no chances; DOUBLE TAP!
Joining the original cast are Rosario Dawson (TV’s The Defender), Zoey Deutch (Netflix’s The Politician), Luke Wilson (Vacancy, Old School), and Thomas Middleditch (TV’s Silicon Valley), who all bring their A-game to help make this sequel even more fun than the first (if you can imagine that)! Zoey Deutch, who’s valley girl persona as Madison, does an exceptional job and nearly steals the entire show! Produced by Gavin Polone (Zombieland, A Dog’s Purpose), Double Tap stretches across the USA – from the White House to Elvis Presley’s Graceland – and the four original zombie slayers now have to face-off against new kinds of zombies which have evolved since the first movie, but most of all, the foursome have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.
No one could have predicted the cult following that would transpire when the first Zombieland was released ten years ago. The now-iconic “zomedy” – a genre-bending horror/comedy that cheekily chronicled the fight between the living dead and the surviving ass-kickers – ushered in a new zombie era. With director Ruben Fleischer returning and writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick’s zippy screenplay, this talented and kinetic cast helped Zombieland achieve critical and commercial success, grossing over 100 million dollars worldwide! In 2009, Zombieland was anything but dead on arrival.
Now, ten years later. the popular group of zombie killers have sliced and diced their way to salvation, and although many have been skeptical about a Zombieland sequel, Double Tap brings all the blood, guts and laughs you’d expect, and then some! It’s messy at parts, but the laughs always land, and every solitary action scene is packed with a mean punch. Throughout the entire 1h 39 mins, nods to the original mesh with new and exciting plotlines and characters delivering us a solid sequel to one of the best horror comedies of all time. Yeah, I said it. And while Double Tap doesn’t set out to top the original, it exists to complement then add onto an already hilariously niche film. A parody of a parody within a parody, Zombieland is a whole lotta bloody fun!
With the 2019 Halloween season lacking any new horror movies (Joker and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil are not your usual Halloween flicks), Zombieland: Double Tap is the only authentic horror movie that coincides with the second biggest holiday in North America – Halloween! Although, Double Tap is still very much a comedy., but even still, you’d think Hollywood would get on the jack-o-lantern money grab, already! Unlike last year, where we had Halloween 2018, Goosebumps 2, Suspiria and another dark comic book movie, Venom, hit theatres in October, this year, October’s new releases don’t give us the spooky and/or cooky Halloween vibes we’re looking for… At the very least, Halloween’s first family – The Addams Family – have also released a new animated feature this October (in case you’re looking for a spookfest the kiddies can enjoy, as well).
Zombieland: Double Tap, on the other hand, is rated a hard R, and after seeing it, you’ll understand why. It plays off its own success, but also adds generic Deadpool vibes which audiences are sure to scream for. Overall, this hard-hitting sequel is a vigorous and fun adventure filled with non-stop action, horror, comedy and cameos, so not only do the four main actors who play the now-iconic characters Colombus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock (named after the places they were trying to reach in the first film) manage to heighten their likability, but they do so in a way that not only feels organic, but also necessary. Zombieland: Double Tap is not only the surprise hit of Halloween, but it’s also the sequel that keeps on giving, ten full years later! Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another decade for a third installment.
“Time to nutt up or shut up!”
3.5 Popcorn Kernels / 5
ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP opens in Canadian theatres everywhere this Friday, October 18th
About the Author
Joey Viola is the Co-Founder of MoJo Toronto and an LGBTQ community leader who utilizes his passion and flair for the art of writing by bringing a fresh perspective in reviewing entertainment and advocating for equality, tolerance, and social/political justice.
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