10 years after the first film, Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock are still together as a family as they survive in the zombie apocalypse. Little Rock however decides to run away and ditch the group as she feels treated like a child, heading to a settlement known as Babylon. The rest embark on a journey to find her as they not only encounter new faces to be added in their group, but also a bigger threat as the zombies evolved to be faster and stronger than ever before. The story is minimal, just like it was in the first film, but that's not why you go to see this film. Many watch to laugh as the film delivers some very good comedy. Whether it's slapstick, verbal, visual, 4th wall breaking, or sexual, the comedy is very spot-on. I feel that the film does take a more emphasis on comedy compared to its predecessor, which isn't a bad thing. However, I completely understand that not everyone is going to love a film that doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever, which this film is unapologetic for.
Despite it being 10 years later, the actors fit perfectly back into the roles that feels natural. Harrelson as the hardened though goofy warrior known as Tallahassee is still my favourite character, though Eisinberg's Columbus is a close second as he is really fun to watch for his geeky and nervous nature. Stone as Wichita is also great as the down to earth survivor, but I felt that Bresin's Little Rock is surprisingly forgettable. Despite being somewhat central to the plot, the film barely focuses on her at all, which kind of makes her the least entertaining character of the film. As for the new characters, Madison is the typical "dumb blonde" stereotype that surprisingly works well in the film. At times, she can get annoying, but the jokes that are used with her, whether it is about his IQ or her relationship with Columbus, are really well delivered. Rosario Dawson as Nevada is well casted as the female counterpart of the Elvis-loving Tallahasse, and the hippie pacifist, Berkeley, does get a chuckle here and there. The best side characters though are Albuquerque and Flagstaff, who are just too similar to Tallahassee and Columbus that it just puts a smile on your face. Overall, the cast brings a fun burst of life into the characters, though I will say that Little Rock was very underused.
Ruben Fleischer of course returned to direct the sequel to his directorial debut hit. After the first film being a hit, Fleischer seems to have a hard time with his films afterwards with "30 Minutes Or Less" and "Gangster Squad" both failing at the box office. However, after directing "Venom", which managed to be a big hit in the box office and moviegoers, Fleischer goes into directing this sequel with a major confidence boost, which is well-deserved. I always felt that Fleischer is a good director, even with the films that aren't well received by critics. I love how the film feels a bit unpolished and greyed-out as it gives off the visual tone of being in the apocalypse, though the interiors to certain set pieces are nicely coloured and designed. The camerawork has very good framing with the characters onscreen. There are directors that can't frame conversations or characters at all in a pleasing way, yet Fleischer knows to make a nice flair to these scenes. The action scenes are also well-made with good selection of songs attached to these adrenaline-paced sequences. The standout set-piece is when both Colombus and Tallahasse are fighting the evolved zombies inside a hotel. Although there are some edits, Fleischer does a good attempt in making the scene to look like a tracking one-shot. My one complaint is that the film overuses CGI in certain scenes and kills. While I'm fine with the CGI for the bigger set-pieces and crowds of zombies in the film, I don't like the lack of practical effects to the blood or gore. The first film had more make-up effects, whereas the sequel doesn't, perhaps due to the film being more comedic than before. Regardless, I'm glad Fleischer is comfortable doing the best job he can directing on his passion project.
"Zombieland: Double Tap" is a good sequel that is almost as good as the first. Despite some overuse of CGI and the lack of screentime with Breslin's Little Rock, the cast generally is lots of fun to watch with some nice variety of comedic beats throughout, and nice directing from Fleischer in an attempt to make a bigger film that is small-scale in heart. If you're planning to see a film for Halloween or just want to have some nice laughs in the theatre, I recommend to watch it and support this film that was made out of passion first, profit second.
Verdict: 7.5/10. Good all-around. No major flaws, but nothing noteworthy that makes it great. See it for yourself and stay during the credits for the best mid-credit scene of all time!
No comments:
Post a Comment