[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”30995″ img_size=”900×500″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]As a fan of the first Zombieland film, I saw the trailer for Zombieland 2 probably a month ago and felt…empty. It’s been a decade since the first Zombieland film came out and I consider it underappreciated as it captured the heart of a family, humor, and action effortlessly. When I saw the trailer, I didn’t laugh at the force humor and it didn’t show a lot of the story that really gave me much interest to see the film, but as someone that enjoyed the first one, I decided to give it a chance. Also, this review will have extremely MINOR spoilers.
PACING/WRITING
If you have a loved one, best friend, colleague, or family member that has not seen the first one or you haven’t even seen the first one then do not worry. Zombieland 2: Double Tap gives a lengthy introduction to each character’s breakdown and an explanation of what the crew has been up to since 2009. Also the film introduces new comers to the zombie species to provide some fresh entertainment instead of some brainless killing like the audience received in the first film.
When I say lengthy introduction, I mean LENGTHY. It was not the most entertaining introduction to the old crew and most of the dialogue was not that well engaging. This creates a weird feeling for a viewer that remembers the film is supposed to be 1 hour and 33 minutes, but it felt as if the first 20 minutes were spent on dragging dialogue setting up the story. If you watched Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, then by comparison, Zombieland 2 is above that in terms of the pacing because OATIH had one of the slowest pacing I have personally witnessed.
This essentially leads in to the writing portion of Zombieland 2. The humor was simply way too forced. At times I probably chuckled three times while watching the film, but overall it never made me laugh out loud. The humor honestly was so noticeably forced that I would make it a huge negative for the film.
PLOT/CHARACTERS
Other than the humor, the plot was interesting enough. It was a simple rescue mission that lead to the gang having great adventures along the way and had a sprinkle of world building. I won’t spoil much about the plot, but if you’re wondering if it’s engaging then I would say it is.
The actors returning were a great sight to see, and the addition of more Zombieland survivors provided some great humor in certain situations. The characters haven’t changed much, and sometimes that is fine depending on the film. In my eyes, the characters didn’t change but instead it felt as if the characters just followed along the different plot points laid out in the film. Yes there were some small character development arcs, but nothing that bashes you over the head.
ACTION
Speaking of bashing, the action was very gory; as expected in a R-rated zombie flick. I loved it and felt that the action sequences were possibly the best part in the film, especially the interactions the characters had in the film while fighting zombies. If you’re worried that there won’t be a lot of opportunities to see the original crew bash some zombie brains aggressively then have no fear because it’s gory and has a lot more spectacle.
CONCLUSION
Zombieland 2 was a fine sequel. As the film wrapped up I couldn’t think of how they could do a Zombieland 3 without making it feel stale and repetitive, but I guess if a writer came along with a new idea then I guess give it a shot. The engaging plot and how the writing set up the character’s journey were one of the bright spots of the film, and seeing the gang back is always good to see. Sadly, the humor was forced to the point that it actually hindered the movie more than assist it. If you’re looking for a film to watch with your friends or anyone and looking for a good time then I would suggest seeing this film, but other than that, it is a forgettable sequel that I wish could have been better, but sometimes we don’t get what we asked for.
Rating: 6.5/10[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Just a guy that grew up on DC and the MCU, anime, and video games and loves traveling across the world and learn about different cultures.
