Geekscape Reviews ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ In 4DX
When 2009’s Zombieland first released, it caught audiences by surprise with its dry humor, quick wit and charismatic cast. Or maybe it’s because it managed to find humor in the ultra violent horror subgenre that often takes itself way too seriously. Regardless, both fans and its creators longed for a sequel. 10 years and a slew of Oscar nominations and wins later, Zombieland: Double Tap brings its original cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin together to pull us back into the zombie apocalypse. But are they able to capture the same magic that the first one did amidst all the blood splatter?
Taking place in real time, Zombieland: Double Tap reacquaints us with Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock ten years after we last saw them. After becoming squatters in the abandoned White House, the group has lived comfortable, relatively normal lives, (or at least as normal as you can get when surrounded by zombies). However, the only thing worse than the fear of immanent death is complacency as Little Rock begins to feel smothered by her surrogate father and longs for life with people her age. Meanwhile, Columbus’ attempt to marry Wichita, (an odd priority during the zombie apocalypse), gives her a case of cold feet, so her and her sister hit the road in search of something new. Wichita eventually returns when she gets the same ghosting treatment from Little Rock, so the three remaining survivors leave the safety of Washington DC to bring their youngest friend back to safety… But not without Columbus’ new fling, Madison, (Zoey Deutch).
As soon as the film starts, it’s clear that the actors haven’t missed a beat. It’s easy to see how much fun the stars are having playing off each other while gunning down waves of zombies, and thankfully, the script gives them plenty to work with. Eisenberg’s Columbus plays to his strengths as a nerdy, uptight and lovable dork who constantly reminds anyone who will listen of his list of rules to survive the zombie apocalypse. As the anchor of the cast, the majority of his screen time is shared with Harrelson’s Tallahassee and Stone’s Wichita, who’s respective southern machismo and cynicism bounce off surprisingly well with Eisenberg’s performance. Yet, it’s Madison, the newcomer to the cast, who steals the show here. The dumb blonde trope is played out to death, but Deutch’s performance makes the most out of what she’s given, with her stereotypical airhead persona turned up to 11 in the face of the death and destruction that only a zombie wasteland can deliver. From the moment she says she survived by hiding in a Pinkberry freezer, it was obvious that she was going to be a standout.
What’s really great about Double Tap as a whole is its seamless ability to blend horror and action within a comedic frame. While laughs are the main goal for the film, it’s not without its tense, even scary moments that makes you fear for the safety of these characters who might otherwise be one note archetypes, largely because they’re able to elicit a reaction nearly the entire time they’re on screen. Whether it’s the lovable badass vibe Tallahassee gives off to the tension between Wichita and Madison that goes way better than anyone would have expected, it doesn’t take long to develop a bond between the characters and the audience. Even Little Rock, who was the weakest character of the group, draws sympathy for wanting something resembling a normal life, even if she makes some dumb decisions while pursuing that goal. Even then, she, nor the rest of the cast cease being the seasoned survivors that they are. Between all the laughs, each character gets a fair share of action, reminding you that they’ve developed into seasoned zombie killers over the last 10 years.
Knowing that, this movie is still a comedy first and foremost. The pace felt a little off, especially in the exposition heavy first half where it felt like nothing of importance was happening for long periods of time. Eventually, the jokes about rules or how dumb Madison was started to wear a little thin, but never enough to take me out of it. Magnifying these pacing issues was a long gag with Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch that goes on way past the point of where the joke stops being funny, which was only mildly amusing to begin with. While never too disappointing, the film would’ve improved with some more fat trimming in the middle.
What was disappointing however, was that due to the nature of this pacing, the 4DX was rarely used. Outside of a few big fight scenes towards the end of the film that last long enough to almost make up for its scarce usage, it felt like I was watching a standard showing. Even when used, the variety of the effects was lacking considering there’s very little that can be done with a literal wasteland as the environment. We got a short burst of snow at the very beginning, smoke, seat movement and water spray to simulate zombie blood, (which was admittedly a creative use of the effect), but considering how few action scenes used the features, I wouldn’t go out of your way to see it in a format outside a standard screening… Even if a 4DX joke in the film had our screening roundly laughing at being mocked for smelling the film.
Zombieland: Double Tap delivers in every way that the original did, with its fair share of action, well scripted drama, plenty of heart and a little bit of suspense to round out its comedic nature. Those looking to make the most out of the 4DX format might be a little disappointed by the limited action scenes, while some drawn out gags make the film feel a little longer than it should, but overall, this sequel is everything it should be. Carried by its talented leads, it offers so much while always staying funny, which is more than can be expected from a movie of this kind. If you want a fun, lighthearted zombie flick in time for Halloween, then your first rule should be to go see Double Tap!
Final Score: 4/5
