_**As amusing and irreverent as the first one, even though it follows a predictable pattern**_ > _I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead._ - Jimmy Buffett; "Growing Older But Not Up" (1981) The initial _Zombieland_ (2009) was surprisingly successful, earning over $100 million against a $24 million budget and briefly holding the title of highest-grossing zombie film until it was surpassed by Marc Forster's _World War Z_ (2013). It possessed wit, humor, and self-awareness, avoiding excessive seriousness and featuring a genuine sense of heart. However, it didn’t seem to need a sequel, and as time passed, the possibility of one appeared increasingly unlikely. After a decade in development, _Zombieland: Double Tap_ has arrived, and frankly, it's one of the most unnecessary sequels I've encountered recently. Yet, despite its lack of necessity, it’s also quite enjoyable. It doesn’t introduce many new elements compared to the original film, but the irreverent humor, fourth-wall breaks, sharp character interactions, and a considerable amount of charm are all present. Directed by Ruben Fleischer (who directed the first film) and written by Rhett Rees and Paul Wernick (the writers of the original), along with Dave Callaham, _Double Tap_ is a pleasant companion piece, if not particularly groundbreaking. Ten years after the events depicted in the first movie, the group remains together and still irritating one another – there's the anxious but kind Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg playing a version of Jesse Eisenberg), the rough but caring Tallahassee (a wonderfully sarcastic Woody Harrelson), the wry Wichita (Emma Stone with her signature deadpan delivery) and the easygoing Little Rock (Abigail Breslin making the most of her role). At this point in time, they’re living in the White House – Columbus and Wichita are a couple, though she recently began to question whether his feelings for her were as strong as hers; Little Rock is now a young woman who resents Tallahassee's continued treatment of her like a child; and Tallahassee hasn't changed at all. After Columbus proposes marriage to Wichita (using the Hope Diamond), she and Little Rock leave, but Wichita returns after a month, informing the others that Little Rock has run off to a supposed zombie-free community. Consequently, the trio reluctantly sets out to find her. Along the way, they meet Madison (Zoey Deutch, who steals the show), a millennial obsessed with social media; Berkeley (Avan Jogia), a peace-loving hippie; Nevada (Rosario Dawson), a tough woman with an Elvis obsession; and Albuquerque (Luke Wilson) and Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch), who are strikingly similar to Tallahassee and Columbus (a reveal that was spoiled by the trailer). There’s also a new type of zombie, faster, stronger, and more intelligent than regular zombies, requiring multiple headshots to kill. And that's essentially the extent of the plot. The original film appeared during a time when the zombie genre was gaining greater respect – Danny Boyle's _28 Days Later_ and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's _28 Weeks Later_, released in 2002 and 2007, respectively, introduced various innovations and challenged many of the established tropes; Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's _[•REC]_ films were released in 2007 and 2009, setting a new standard for found footage movies; _The Walking Dead_ premiered in 2010, initially receiving high praise (until it devolved into repetitive self-parody). Zombies also featured prominently in video game franchises of the era, such as _Siren_ (2003), _Dead Rising_ (2006), _Dead Space_ (2008), and _Dead Island_ (2011). _Zombieland_ disregarded all of that – it was a film that didn't take anything seriously, particularly itself. Considering this, one of the sequel’s strengths is that very little has changed; essentially, it acknowledges the passage of time by ignoring it. Columbus’s opening narration specifically references the long break, thanking viewers for choosing _Double Tap_ despite “a wide choice of zombie entertainment,” and Madison mentions that Tallahassee's catchphrase is "very 2009." However, the film feels as if it were filmed immediately after the original. Of course, this is important because, within the world of the franchise, the last decade has been very different from our own reality, so the filmmakers couldn’t incorporate too many contemporary references – although Columbus does comment on how "unrealistic" _The Walking Dead_ comics are, there's a humorous deconstruction of Uber and a subtle nod to Trump when Wichita sarcastically suggests that Tallahassee would have brought “a real dignity” to the presidency. This applies to the performances as well; Columbus, Tallahassee, and Wichita remain largely unchanged from ten years prior. Little Rock has matured significantly, which is due to her being a child in the original film and now a young woman. This lack of character development could be seen as a negative, but it’s actually reassuring because of the familiarity of the characters and their dynamic; we welcome it because it's familiar, with the cast essentially repeating what they did in the first movie. Speaking of performances, Zoey Deutch is captivating in every scene she appears in. Her character may be cliché and annoying on paper, but Deutch’s warm performance finds genuine emotion amidst the perpetually cheerful and energetic persona. She also has great chemistry with the rest of the cast, especially Harrelson. In fact, all of the new actors have terrific chemistry, which is a welcome sight because effortless chemistry was one of the hallmarks of the original film. Regarding weaknesses, as mentioned, the film doesn’t offer much that wasn't in the original – the characters are the same,

Source on TMDB