“Zombieland: Two are better than one” on free TV
Is the sequel worth tuning in to?
Characters new and old fight to survive in Zombieland: Double is Better.
© Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
On March 20, the sequel to “Zombieland” celebrates its free TV premiere. But is the new mix of horror and slapstick worth it?
In 2009, the film “Zombieland” by Ruben Fleischer (47) achieved something that only a few films try to achieve: the balancing act between (zombie) horror and comedy. Above all, Bill Murray’s self-deprecating appearance as Bill Murray should have stuck in most people’s memories. Nevertheless, it took almost ten years to the day before part two of “Zombieland: Double is better” came to the cinema in 2019. Again starring Jesse Eisenberg (38), Woody Harrelson (60) and Emma Stone (33). But is it just as funny? This question is to be examined on the occasion of the free TV premiere of the sequel on March 20 (10:45 p.m., ProSieben).
Sadness in the apocalypse – that’s what it’s about
Columbus (Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Harrelson), Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin, 25) have gotten a little too used to life in the zombie apocalypse. Her new abode, the White House, cannot change that. Little Rock in particular is horrified by the eternally same everyday life in the midst of the old sacks. She has become a young woman and wishes to meet people her own age – ideally, of course, a handsome male survivor. And because Wichita then feels unnecessarily pressured by Columbus’ marriage proposal, the two women storm one night.
But the paths of the two separate promptly. Because Little Rock spontaneously elopes with a hitchhiker, the pacifist Berkeley (Avan Jogia, 30). The lovebirds want to make their way to Graceland, a distraught Wichita reports on her return to the sulking Columbus and the angry Tallahassee. But their shared concern outweighs the sorrow of being abandoned and robbed. And so they decide to follow the two of them.
More is not always more
Zombieland follows the typical formula of a sequel. In this case, that means even larger zombie hordes, more blood and more slapstick. However, the sequel hardly ever achieves the charm of its predecessor, which is also due to the fact that some gags are recycled quite clumsily.
But the newly introduced characters, who are supposed to bring a breath of fresh air into the story, do the strip a disservice. First and foremost Madison (Zoey Deutch, 27), with whom the decal of a blond dumbass in pink was overdone. Same game with the unworldly hippie commune.
So the sequel wouldn’t have been needed. Still, for fans of the original, it’s certainly nice to see how the characters have evolved – or not – over the years. In addition, Bill Murray is allowed to shine again as a zombie killer via detours. And just for this short sequence alone it could be worth turning on.