Zombieland: Double Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Zombieland: Double Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 22, 2020

If Zombieland was the rush of riding that roller coaster for the first time, then Zombieland: Double Tap is sort of like riding it for the umpteenth time: it's still fun, but the thrill is long gone. It's been a decade since Director Ruben Fleischer's original film entertained audiences with a hybrid of zippy humor and horrific imagery, quickly cementing itself as one the quintessential genre films. Since then, it at least feels like the zombie craze has lost a step in its forward momentum, ambling now rather than running, and ten years is a long time in between movies. But credit the filmmakers for not rushing things, for not jumping the gun and cranking out a second and third and half a dozen more in the direct to video realm since. Unfortunately, Double Tap isn't much of a movie anyway if one is looking for something as groundbreaking as the original. Ruben Fleischer returns to direct and simply repurposes the original without much novelty. It's got its moments to be sure but it does little to advance anything but time or reshape anything but a few zombies that get squashed and squished or torn to bits or mashed up into a bundle of hay.

The survivors -- Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) -- have moved into the White House. It’s “truly safe” from the zombies, which are themselves evolving, some slowly gaining intelligence and others relentless drive to devour their pray. Still, others remain just plain stupid. Unfortunately, the group is fracturing. Columbus wants to settle down with Wichita, who balks at his clumsy marriage proposal. Little Rock is itching to leave the nest, to find love and purpose in life beyond surviving and slaying zombies. Only Tallahassee, it seems, remains content with the status quo. One day, the guys discover the girls have left. A month passes, Columbus meets the ditzy Madison (Zoey Deutch), and right after they consummate their relationship, Wichita returns to tell them that Little Rock has run away with a guitar playing pacifist known as Berkley (Avan Jogia). Now three-quarters reunited, the troupe travels to Graceland, and beyond, to rescue one of its own from a danger greater than zombies: pacifist hippies.

To his credit, Fleischer capitalizes on the movie's relative repetitiveness and redundancy in several fun moments. Spelling them out would ruin the fun but suffice it to say it's often when the movie feels most familiar -- for the audience and for the characters -- that it is at its best. But for the most part, Fleischer and company are content to roll with a movie that is simply a generalized rehash of the original, with a few new faces and several new locations that don't reach full potential, whether the White House, Graceland, or a high rise hippie haven. Double Tap is less concerned with the story’s overall direction and more concerned with the here-and-now, and both ends suffer for it. It's a movie built for and around set pieces. Story is razor thin and the new characters are just as flimsy, perhaps with the exception of the brain-dead Madison, but even with her the movie could have played up the idea of the mindless zombie mentality infesting today's human race a bit more than it does.

Everyone else, at least within the main cast, is back up to form without missing a beat, not that these characters are particularly challenging to begin with. The actors wear the characters like comfortable, worn-in shoes, returning after a decade hiatus like the movie was shot back-to-back with the original. But as with everything else in the movie, there's no forward momentum, no character growth beyond Little Rock's yearning to set off on her own in a spat of teenage rebellion. The returning characters, and everyone and everything else in the movie, fits into a mold that offers no wiggle room and certainly no escape. The movie is sadly more manufactured than it is organic, playing like a cash-in a decade in the making.

Zombieland: Double Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Per IMDB, Zombieland: Double Tap was digitally photographed at a resolution of 3.4K and finished at 2K. The upscaled 2160p/HDR UHD presentation is nevertheless striking, with resplendent clarity that only has the downside of presenting some of the material, including characters, as bordering on artificial in appearance, a bit slick and smooth but certainly not devoid of detail. On the contrary, the picture enjoys very fruitful definition across every frame, a good bit more than the Blu-ray, which itself never wants for added textural might. The UHD still offers an improved array of tangible textures, including but not limited to facial definition, hair, clothing lines and seams, and various environments, whether those still relatively unblemished by the decade-long zombie apocalypse or those that are overgrown and/or much worse for neglect and wear. Clarity is far and away superior compared to the 1080p counterpart and noise management is improved on the UHD as well. Color depth and tonal variation take off under the HDR parameters as well. The image is slightly darker but tones are more stable and enjoy added depth and intricacy, whether considering natural greenery, colorful neon lights, or assorted odds and ends and various locales, from a shiny 1911 handgun to Elvis' actual shoes. Skin tones appear healthier and more lifelike. HDR brings added depth and detail to blacks, and it is some third act shots that contrast intense light and/or color against black where the transfer finds some of its finest moments. A nighttime scene in chapter 14, depicting headlights against a black background, or fireworks exploding in the night sky a few moments later, are two of the most visually impressive shots in the film for light and dark stability, contrast, and intensity at both ends. The UHD exhibits no encode issues of note. This one looks terrific.

Zombieland: Double Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Zombieland: Double Tap's DTS:X soundtrack just flat-out delivers. While the Blu-ray's 5.1 presentation is no slouch, the aded fill and spacial awareness allow this track to stand apart, to more intensely infuse the stage with zombie action extravaganza. Everything is appropriately prodigious, whether moaning zombies, blasting shotguns, or high intensity music. Large vehicles throttle through and around the stage with exacting guttural engagement. A throng of zombies chase after Berkley and Little Rock at the 50-minute mark with grotesque groans that flow back to front with a tangible overhead flow as well. A similar effect may be heard in chapter 14 when another gaggle of the undead descends on the survivors. The track produces prodigious weight at several key moments, notably during an unforgettable one-off zombie kill in chapter 11 when an iconic landmark is used to squash a few of the undead. This is a truly great listen. It's perfectly precise, fully immersive, and completely bonkers. It's also subtle and gentle as any given scene demands but can, and does, turn up the intensity on the proverbial dime. Figure in great dialogue reproduction and everything about this one is just right.

Zombieland: Double Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most of Zombieland: Double Tap's extras can be found on the bundled Blu-ray, but the UHD does include two: the audio commentary track and the Zombieland Ad Council extra, which is still presented in 1080p (why bother?). Below is a breakdown of what the Blu-ray includes. This release also ships with a Movies Anywhere digital copy code and a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Director Ruben Fleischer breaks the movie down from narrative and technical perspectives.
• Extended Bloopers & Outtakes (1080p, 4:52): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 12:42 total runtime): Included are The Beast Is Gone, Van Ride, Would Have Never Met, In Bed, Breakfast at Babylon, Car Ride, Melting Gun, There's a Party Tonight, and Alternate Proposal.
• The Doppelgängers (1080p, 7:02): A closer look at Thomas Middleditch and Luke Wilson's characters and places in the movie.
• A Day with Bill Murray (1080p, 3:11): A look back at Murray's character and performance in the first film and his return for this film (along with a few other familiar faces).
• The Rides of Zombieland (1080p, 4:14): Exploring the cool vehicles that drive around the movie.
• Rules for Making a Zombie Film (1080p, 9:10): Just as Columbus has his own rules for surviving a zombie apocalypse, cast and crew share some rules concerning sets and locations, increasing the sequel's size and scope, zombie makeup, and even coffee.
• Making Babylon (1080p, 5:04): Inside (and outside) the movie's hippie tower.
• New Blood (1080p, 4:51): Spend a few minutes with the movie's new characters.
• Single Take Doppelgänger Fight (1080p, 2:18): One camera captures a key fight scene in the movie, as seen through the viewfinder.
• Zombieland Ad Council (1080p, 0:32): How to plan for the apocalypse.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Zombieland: Double Tap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Zombieland: Double Tap remains a national affair, with characters only taking names from the continental United States, but it's in Italy where the movie ever-so-briefly detours to find its funniest and most memorable scene. Even remaining close to home, though, the movie never feels like it really goes anywhere, content to recycle gags within something more resembling a framework than a story. It's still a fun little ride as it is, but groundbreaking this is not, not within the Zombieland world and certainly not within the larger Zombie genre. Sony's UHD is first rate, though. Video and audio presentations are above reproach. The studio has included plenty of extras to boot, at least on the bundled Blu-ray. Recommended.