It’s been ten long years since we’ve seen Zombieland hit theaters back in 2009. In ten years, a lot can happen to a person in that amount of time. Unless you’re characters in Zombieland: Double Tap. Although the film takes place ten years after the events of the first film, you don’t see these characters change very much.
Nevertheless, these characters are still as fun as ever. Woody Harrelson brings a lot of fun once again as Tallahassee. His wise-cracks and large ego just never get old. At the same time, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone are fun to watch together. Of course, their chemistry is still weird but that’s the appeal of Columbus and Wichita. Probably the biggest (and only) change is with Little Rock. As a result, she’s become the most annoying character in the entire film.
That’s the biggest problem with the film. The storyline depends on you caring about Little Rock. Unfortunately, Little Rock acts like an unreasonable brat here. So chances are high that you’re going to be annoyed by her. Luckily for us, she’s barely in the film. The camaraderie of Columbus, Tallahassee, and Wichita is what ultimately drives the film.
Even though Little Rock is barely in the film, she’s replaced by the film’s biggest standout, Zoey Deutch. She steals every single scene she’s in. It’s weird though since the dumb blonde routine can get old. However, here ability to escape in the stupidest ways is just so fun to watch.
Overall, Zombieland: Double Tap is a smashing good time. However, the film is geared towards those who loved the first film. The sequel is more of the same but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s still the fun-loving action-packed gorefest that made the original a cult classic. When most comedy sequels suck after a long wait, Zombieland: Double Tap is one of the rare exceptions to the rule.
Movie Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
Video
Zombieland: Double Tap hits Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-AVC with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The picture has a great high contrast which, in turn, gives the picture a lot of depth. Thanks to the contrast, the picture looks overly bright. The whites are vibrant and have a decent amount of bloom. At the same time, the black levels have a wide array of black—from deep black to a lighter shade of black. Like the brightness, there are some flaws as well because there’s a decent amount of crush. The colors are bold and pop off the screen. Also, the details are so incredibly clear. You can see it in all of the amazing zombie makeup in the film. Overall, this is a great video transfer.
Video Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Audio
Zombieland: Double Tap hits Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. When you see Zombieland’s version of the Columbia Pictures intro, you’ll find out right away just how immersive this mix is. The mix has a good amount of dynamic pans, but they’re mostly short and sweet like whooshes across the soundstage. The mix is also accurate and boisterous which, in turn, immerses you right into the scene.
You’ll also find some nice atmospherics like Hawaiian music subtly playing in the background during the Tiki bar scene with Tallahassee and Albuquerque. Also, the soundtrack and David Sardy’s score completely envelopes you. Unfortunately, there are some instances where the dialogue does get drowned out by the loud mix. Nevertheless, the dialogue is still crystal clear. Overall, this is a fine mix.
Audio Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Special Features
Zombieland: Double Tap has the following special features on the Blu-ray disc:
- Commentary with Director Ruben Fleischer
- Extended Bloopers & Outtakes
- Deleted Scenes
- The Beast is Gone
- Van Rides
- Would of Never Met
- In Bed
- Breakfast at Babylon
- Car Ride
- Melting Gun
- There’s a Party Tonight
- Alternate Proposal
- The Doppelgangers
- A Day with Bill Murray
- The Rides of Zombieland
- Rules of Making a Zombie Film
- Making Babylon
- New Blood
- Single Take Doppelganger Fight
- Zombieland Ad Council
Ruben Fleischer’s audio commentary is very truthful and informative. He continually points out all of the CG-work or the practical effects. He also points out things that didn’t work or gives compliments for the unsung heroes of the production. The blooper reel is very funny and probably one of the better blooper reels in recent memory. For the most part, the deleted scenes are all entertaining and damn funny to boot. Unsurprisingly, a lot of those scenes involve Madison in some way. “The Doppelgangers” is a fun featurette that focuses on the Columbus and Tallahassee’s doppelgangers, Alburquerque and Flagstaff. For awesome cameos, this is still a surprisingly long and in-depth featurette that covers a good amount of topics. Much like “Doppelganger,” “Bill Murray” covers the awesome short cameo with Bill Murray. The featurette also mainly consists of behind-the-scenes footage from the making of that post-credits segment.
As you might expect, “The Rides of Zombieland” breaks down all of the various vehicles in the film. At the same time, “Rules of Making a Zombie Film” is an in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette done in a fun way. Various production crew members recite the rules that relate to the making of a zombie film. “Making Babylon” is another informative featurette that takes a look at the hippie hipster utopia, Babylon. “New Blood” sheds light on the three new characters in the film. Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, and Avan Jogia all break down who their characters are and their purpose in the film. The “Single Take” is the raw unaltered footage of the incredible one-take fight between Columbus and Tallahassee versus their doppelgangers. Shockingly enough, the Zombieland Ad Council is a real-life ad from the ad council for apocalypse preparedness.
Special Features Rating: 4/5 atoms
Overall, Zombieland: Double Tap may not be as good as the first film, but it’s still a smashing good time. The video transfer and audio mix are both excellent, and the bonus features are all in-depth and done well.
Overall Rating: 4/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
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