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From “Resident Evil” to “Shaun of the Dead,” from “World War Z” to “Warm Bodies,” the past 20 years of zombie movies encompass terror, comedy, politics, and even romance. It is safe to say that the zombie movie category has been overdone. The world did not need another zombie movie. The world definitely did not need a zombie movie sequel 10 years after the original movie premiered. However, if the world did, in fact, have space for one more — and very late — zombie movie, it needed to be exceptional. In short, it needed to be “Zombieland: Double Tap.”

With the main cast of the first film reclaiming their original roles, “Zombieland: Double Tap” picks up 10 years after the events of its predecessor. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is still geeky and still religiously follows his rules for survival; gun-toting, twinkie-obsessed Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) is still kind of a jerk; and sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) are still more badass than any of the other characters. After moving into the most secure building in the United States of Zombieland — what was once the White House — this makeshift, dysfunctional, zombie-hunting family of four begin to drift apart. Tallahassee has become an overbearing father to a now teenaged Little Rock, who is yearning for adventure and friends her own age. Columbus and Wichita are still in love but when Columbus proposes, Wichita’s fear of marriage and divorce causes her to abruptly leave him behind, taking Little Rock with her. When Wichita returns to the White House with news that Little Rock has run away with a boy, she, Tallahassee, and Columbus search for the teen on a cross-country adventure that leads them to an Elvis-themed hotel, an organic, pacifist co-op full of hippies, and up against a hoard of a faster, stronger, and more bloodthirsty new strain of zombie.

In an oversaturated movie genre, “Zombieland: Double Tap” manages to stand out, even against the original. Reliant on tropes that make other horror-comedies successful such as physical comedy, laughably unrealistic but still somehow unsettling violence, and lots of colorful language, “Zombieland: Double Tap” is still unique in its own right. Harrelson’s comedic timing is unmatched, Eisenberg and Stone’s on-screen chemistry is palpable, and Breslin’s portrayal of an angsty teenager is scarily realistic and relatable to the franchise’s new Gen Z audience. New supporting characters who help guide the movie’s plot include a hippy poser from Berkeley, California (Avan Jogia), Madison who epitomizes the “dumb blonde” trope (Zoey Deutch), and the ultimate independent woman Nevada (Rosario Dawson). The addition of these new characters alone sets “Zombieland: Double Tap” apart from the first movie and the new big names attract members of a generation who grew up watching them like the 2009 film did with Harrelson and Eisenberg.

While this sequel achieved what most sequels fail to do and managed to be just as entertaining as its predecessor, like every sequel, it did have its downfalls — albeit minor ones. Although the “Zombieland” franchise’s reliance on tropes is what makes the two films enjoyable, in this film, at times they were worn out. The biggest offender of being a hackneyed archetype is Madison. Deutch’s exaggerated portrayal of a ditzy blonde valley-girl is well-executed in its over-exaggeration; however, Madison’s lack of character arc and one-sidedness leaves something to be desired. It was obvious that Madison is meant to be a satirical depiction of the typical popular, pretty girl, but at times, the archetype is more straight-up annoying and sexist than funny and familiar. Despite her monotony, Madison’s creation of an unlikely love-triangle with Columbus and Wichita is funny enough to make her a worthwhile character.

After the commercial success that the original “Zombieland” achieved in 2009, it is odd that director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick waited 10 years to release a sequel. Yet despite the decade-long break, the revival is reminiscent of what happened with “The Incredibles” and “Incredibles 2, and “Zombieland: Double Tap” proves that some things are just worth the wait. The sequel’s references to the original movie’s plot, jokes about contemporary technology that would not have been possible a decade ago, cheesy yet heartwarming portrayals of non-traditional familial love, and a hilarious, secret mid-credit scene featuring Bill Murray are just some of the film’s greatest strengths. “Zombieland: Double Tap” alone successfully encompasses terror, comedy, politics and, yes, even romance. The years between the first and second films allowed the original fans to return to the franchise with fresh eyes and a newer generation that was too young to watch “Zombieland” in 2009 to discover the dystopian horror-comedy today. The filmmakers strike a perfect balance between gory, dramatic, action-packed zombie horror and laugh-out-loud comedy that leaves the audience willing to wait another ten years for the next installment of the franchise.
—Staff writer Annie Harrigan can be reached at annie.harrigan@thecrimson.com.