Zombieland Double Tap

MOVIE TITLE: Zombieland Double Tap

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Zombieland, the popular horror/comedy flick is back for seconds! I admit that the first Zombieland was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, so I was excited for this sequel. Time sure flies. I can’t believe it has been 10 years. Since then, the four leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone) have been pretty busy and have all been nominated for Academy Awards! Emma Stone actually won the prestigious Oscar for her role in La La Land.

So, how do you make a sequel fresh? In this case, make the zombies evolve and find more living humans to add to the story. Oh, and of course, more blood and gore, the same approach taken by The Walking Dead each season until it became completely disgusting. Fans will get a kick out of the film.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

NOT for children!
Lots of blood and gore. Soooooo much.
Lots of zombies
Violence, killing with a variety of weapons
Profanity, including many F-bombs
Pre-marital relations
Explosions, destruction
Marijuana
Pop references to Uber, Elvis, Bob Dylan, Garfield, U.S. presidents

THEMES:

“Home isn’t a place. It’s the people you’re with.” – Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg)
Double Tap
Travel Light
Friendship, family
Teamwork
“Expect the Unexpected.” – Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch)

THINGS I LIKED:

Nice zombie touch with the Columbia logo at the very, very beginning before the movie even started. Ha ha
Keep watching when you think the movie has ended for a fun cameo performance that fans will love. Hint: It’s someone who was also nominated for an Oscar! Then, keep watching until the very, very end of the rolling credits for more.
Funny references to zombie fans of Shaun of the Dead AND The Walking Dead.
It was smart to have it come out close to Halloween.
There’s a little bit of character development.
The tone and feel match the first movie.
I didn’t realize that the lovely Zoey Deutch is the daughter of actress Lea Thompson and director Howard Deutch. She did a really great job. I first noticed her in Before I Fall, a completely different movie from this one! You can see my movie review of Before I Fall by clicking here.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Are people still in to zombies? This sequel should have come out 5-7 years ago.
Some of the humor is tired.
The plot is pretty simple.
I heard Dan Aykroyd was in the movie. I guess I blinked because I missed him.
People who haven’t seen the first movie will miss the backstories of the characters and inside jokes.

FUNNY LINES:

“I have Native American blood coursing through my veins.” – Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) “Right now?” – Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg)
“This is soy random.” – Madison (Zoey Deutch)
“Do you know why she’s alive? Because zombies eat brains and she ain’t got any.” – Tallahassee

INTERESTING LINES:

“Life is about more than just survival.” – main guy
“Enjoy the little things.” – main guy
“They say when something bad happens, you have 3 choices: let it define you, destroy you, or strengthen you.” – Columbus

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Zombieland