By: John Hall, Editor in Chief
Ten years after the cult classic Zombieland graced the screen, Zombieland 2 slumped into theatres on Oct. 18. The first film followed the misadventures of college student Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg) in the aftermath of a Zombie Apocalypse. Columbus lives by a certain list of rules that allows him to navigate the United States until he comes across Tallahasee (Woody Harrelson).
Tallahasee has a penchant for killing zombies with a particular sense of style that could only be seen as artistic. The unlikely duo decide to travel together until coming across Wichita Emma Stone and her sister Little Rock Abigail Breslin. At first the duo cause problems for their male counterparts, however the end of the film saw the four bonding along survival lines.
ombieland 2 is sure to excite viewers eager to pick up on the action where it left off in the prequel.
The new film continues to follow the crew as they continue their trek across the dystopian North American continent. The film engages, as it picks up the story with the same level of comedy and drama as in the previous film. Eisenberg captivates with his innocent charm and wit, holding onto the charm of the previous film.
Harrelson penchant for killing zombies shines but takes a back pedal to the father arc in this sequel. After spending ten years on the move with the three young people, his temper is only flared when any of the group is threatened. Tallahassee’s character itself shows little aging externally, and shows even less signs of degradation as his vitality is the same as the first film.
The film excels in this regard, as the characters maintain their level of awkwardness, naivety, exuberance and optimism as the previous film. However, it falters in its story line that does not flesh out the true conflict of this story. Arguably, in 2009 the Zombieland franchise started on an overdone concept, but was maintained through comedy and shared conflict between the survivors. This too maintained its integrity in the sequel that comedically times every punch line, while incorporating new characters into the fold.
The film engages, as it picks up the story with the same level of comedy and drama as in the previous film.
Guest cameos and an epic mid credit scene, make the movie worthwhile as it creates a larger view of the world made in the previous film. The soundtrack, as always, is littered with time specific references to what is said on screen, while pop culture references juxtapose the current geopolitical, economic and social climates. In truth the film is no more or less than the prequel, giving us conflict
Movie aggregate Rotten Tomatoes as of Oct. 20 rated the movie at 68% with 151 critics weighing in, and an audience score firm at 90% with over 2500 verified users rating it. Critic Jennifer Heaton of Alternative Lens sums up the film succinctly, “It’s less a sequel and more a reunion tour, content to play the same hits for the most part, but when originality does strike it reminds you why people fell in love with the original.”
Overall Zombieland 2 is a must see watch to achieve a level of closure the epic dystopian franchise, the film receives a 4.5 Paws out of 5.
Ten years after the cult classic Zombieland graced the screen, Zombieland 2 slumped into theatres on Oct. 18.
