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"Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Old 09-29-20, 11:29 PM
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"Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge



Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)


Selected by Darkgod


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IMDB ENTRY

ALYXSTARR LINK

ALYXSTARR LINK - Commentary by director Ruben Fleischer
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These "October Horror Movie Challenge" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 FILM SUBSET list.

The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day.
You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.

Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day.
Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.



Spoiler tags aren't always used in here, so if you have yet to see the film BEWARE OF POSSIBLE SPOILERS.

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2020 DISCUSSION | 2020 LISTS


Old 10-04-20, 02:35 AM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Zombieland [1] was a really cool horror comedy with fast paced style, sharp referential comedy, badass action, and bittersweet nostalgia for a simplier time (Pacific Playland being a great symbol for carefree innocence before the apocalypse and 'maturity'). Here are my grouchy ranting thoughts on the letdown of a sequel, which I enjoyed more theatrically last year than this second viewing.

2x Tap felt like a big step down into self parody - these are not about plot but no excuse to be this superficial and the humor is more miserly. Tone deaf lampooning of hippies [?], airhead blones, and vegans feel like 'who cares' cheap shots from grandpa about a bygone era oblivious to our age of nazi punching revolt & social unrest. Jesse Eisenberg is a bit more obnoxious here stealing the spotlight from the rest of the group dashing the chemistry that made the first so great. Tallahassee is reduced to a confued father pining for Elvis rather than the carefree badass from the first - he is his own parody more Shut Up than Nut Up; Wichita and Little Rock stand-ins for romantic elements (far cry from the scam artist rebels they were in the first). The Wilson/Middleditch doubles were a 'cute' idea but stress that pail imitation is more of an enemy here than zombies. The Homer zombie segement is amusing but 'zombie types' long winded and Terminator (plus Elvis) references more tiresome with each rehash - the humor feels much less diverse beating the dead horse of a few lukewarm hooks (even reviving the excellent Murray cameo reheating a once epic laugh for 'meh' repeats to awkwardly elaborate degree of making Garfield jokes).

The 'Zombie Kill of the Year' segments were a great addition. I love the 'siege' ending with buffalo run twist and Nevada is a great addition to the squad but we needed the Monster Truck to show up earlier for things to get metal sooner than they do.

If guns are outlawed then only outl... no one will be able to stop the zombie apocalypse? The more I think about the strange social/political commentaries in ZL2 the more bizzare and off it seems (maybe I'm just jaded by an election year).

Last edited by Undeadcow; 10-04-20 at 12:22 PM.
Old 10-04-20, 12:12 PM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Part 2 is definitely a step down. Eisenberg is a chore to watch. I rewatched the first one this morning prior this and the decline stands out. Some parts are enjoyable though so it’s not all bad. I liked the doppelgängers and Rosario Dawson rules. The blonde girlfriend was extremely obnoxious, in a bad way.
Old 10-04-20, 04:01 PM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Decent sequel to the original. The comedy is hit and miss as can be expected. Woody Harrelson carries the film.

6.5/10
Old 10-04-20, 06:14 PM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

I second everything Undeadcow says. The first movie was a fun goof 11 years ago, but in the age of COVID and Trump, the targets here (vegans, hippies) seem completely out of whack to work as satire. The first one came out before The Walking Dead premiered on AMC, so the filmmakers needed to up their game here, instead they relied on lazy stereotypes and repeated jokes from the first movie.

Last edited by Gobear; 10-05-20 at 11:33 AM.
Old 10-04-20, 10:59 PM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

I really enjoyed this. I saw the first one years ago, but don't remember much about it, so this was like going in fresh. I loved the humor. I really needed it as a palate cleanser after Evil Dead (2013) and Dawn of the Dead (2004). My favorite movie today by far.

I can see where some would find the blonde chick obnoxious, but it made me laugh. I also through the final climactic scene was pretty original. It gets tough to find some new way to fight zombies. It worked for me.

ETA: I didn't think about the politics of it while watching it-- slamming the libs, I guess. Frankly, I'd rather not think about it. Too much of that irl.
Old 10-05-20, 11:37 AM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Everyone pitched in their buck 'o five at the end but good to see Little Rock stick to her gun. I enjoyed it and it was nice seeing the cast again along with the new characters -- Zoey Deutch's Madison was very funny. The press junket at the end...
Old 10-09-20, 12:07 PM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

Watched both and the second slips in quality a lot. Still watchable, but won’t make my regular rotation.
Old 10-24-20, 09:31 PM
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Re: "Zombieland: Double Tap" Reviews/Discussion - 2020 Horror Challenge

I believe this is the last movie I've seen at the theater. I went with some friends to see it at the discount theater. Yes, I clearly don't get out to the theater very often.

Anyway, I wasn't much of a fan in the theater. This time, I made sure a viewing of the first was fresh in my mind and gave it a try again. Huge step down in quality from the first. Huge.

The first was fairly contained character wise, but while they were definitely movie characters, they still felt real and grounded, if that makes sense. The sequel, as they're prone to do, just went bigger and broader - at least with the other characters around them. The main quartet still felt fairly real to me, but everyone else with the possible exception of Rosario Dawson was too much a caricature. Maybe that could have worked, but they went with really lazy caricatures to boot. I mean, the vegan stoner hippie and the dumb blonde? Yawn.

I had a friend message me a few months back while he was watching the movie. He was so excited when it looked like the blonde was dead and so crestfallen when she showed up again. Ha, ha.

As hard as I'm being on it, the movie has its positive attributes. It's just that it's such a letdown when compared to the first.

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