Not long after, Stones’ Wichita is back. She tells the guys she’s been dumped by Little Rock, who has met a guy called Berkeley, played by Avan Jogia, and they are headed for a new supposed zombie-free safe area. There’s also a new breed of zombie out there that has evolved to be stronger and faster than the original ones. So, faster than you can say "road trip," the four are on the road and looking for them. Naturally, things don’t go smoothly.Once again, the original cast works together flawlessly, and the schtick and chemistry are no less engaging or entertaining. Every single one of them nails it, but snarky Stone is a particular delight. That said, Zombieland: Double Tap belongs to newcomer Zoey Deutch. Her performance as Madison is absolute comedy gold and uniquely her. It is worth the price of admission on its own. How she makes a character that should be insanely annoying so utterly irresistible is genius. While there are some proper guffaws to be had throughout the movie, it is Deutch’s performance and delivery that get the lion’s share of the belly laughs. Her chemistry with the original cast is incredible, and together they only make each other’s best even better. Honestly, it is inspired.
Also joining the cast are Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Middleditch, who each bring something to the mix as the respective doppelgangers of Wichita, Tallahassee and Columbus, including a nice twist. I can’t help but feel that their presence, especially Wilson and Middleditch’s characters, in the trailers somewhat lessens their impact in the movie. That said, there’s still enough there to satisfy audiences and generate some solid laughs.
Here is a clip of the new cast if you want to see them in action: Recapturing, replicating, and improving on everything the original movie brought to the table was never going to be easy. However, director Ruben Fleischer and the film’s writers have succeeded where others have failed with sequels to great original movies. Zombieland: Double Tap is a more than worthy sequel and companion piece to the original movie. It licks along at a brisk pace, which ensures that it is tight, lean, and the laughs and thrills come thick and fast. Additionally, the way the first film and its events are acknowledged here should be applauded. Each nod is done masterfully and is never hamfisted.
However, it’s in the final third of the movie where Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap stop being as good as each other by a slim margin. The final act here feels more polished, more manufactured, and less like the rest of the movie. It certainly delivers another zombie battle overall that excites and impresses, but this one feels less raw and more restricted at times, which is a detriment to the overall R-rated fun of the rest of the movie. It’s the only part of the movie that looks and feels staged, and doesn't reach the great third act trifecta of action, humor and heart of the Pacific Playland conclusion in the first Zombieland.
