We recently heard the fun surprise that ‘Zombieland 2‘ might be slated for next year and now a ton of details appears to be popping up. Early reports have shown that there is a planned time jump in the movie to explain the actors are getting older but until now the cast and crew have been quiet as to what it could be about. For starters, it looks to be that the title of the movie will be ‘Zombieland, Too’ and that is only the beginning.
This is just a rumored plot, but I do have to stress that this is extremely intensive and if true, will spoil many of the major plot points of the film which is still a year from being released.
Here is what a source who is reported to be familiar with the project is saying about it:
Ruben Fleisher’s ZOMBIELAND is one of my favorite zombie films ever. The way it brilliantly constructed an energetic atmosphere so full of vitality is almost unparalleled within the genre, with Raimi’s EVIL DEAD series being the only competitor. I’m not a huge fan of horror, so when ZOMBIELAND came along and showed me that the post-apocalypse could be fun— ridiculous fun, at that— I was enthralled. Apparently, everyone else agreed, as it received an overwhelmingly positive critical reception and nearly quadrupled its budget at the box office. Unsurprisingly, this success has warranted the development of a sequel— an expansion that is about to hit its 10 year anniversary. Here’s the inside scoop on… ZOMBIELAND, TOO (yes, it’s spelled like that).
ZOMBIELAND TOO opens with a question. What would happen if we ran out of zombies? An interesting concept, one that hasn’t been explored in any film of the genre thus far. The way the film approaches answering the question is both hilarious and depressing. The change from ‘zombies’ to ‘no zombies’ can be considered as big as the change from ‘no zombies’ to ‘zombies.’ It’s such a dramatic transformation to one’s routine, what they consider normal, that it fundamentally alters their mentality. Boredom and apathy seep into each person’s psyche, slowly growing discontent with one another until they reach an inevitable boiling point. Okay… maybe I’m a little dramatic. ZOMBIELAND, TOO opens with that question, yes. But it doesn’t really ever dwell on it. A strength, I believe, as the film could’ve fallen into a bout of angst if it explored that concept to the nth degree. That is not what ZOMBIELAND is all about. Instead, the primary focus of the narrative is a quest to find a missing member of the party from the first film.
All the main folks from the first film return: Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, Little Rock. And a few new faces also make an appearance: Reno, TB, Cleveland, Madison, and a few others. While these new characters definitely aren’t as exciting or developed as the original four, they are a welcome addition to the roster and allow for some fantastically humorous moments. Reno is the Eve to Tallahassee’s Adam. She is everything he could ever dream of badass, skilled, strong. They’re a match made in heaven… if only she would take him. TB is Tallahassee’s spitting image. Essentially the same person. Similarly with Columbus and Cleveland. Madison is a ditzy blonde who Columbus hooks up with after Wichita freaks out from the lack of zombies and leaves (yeah, that happens really early on, it’s not a spoiler). The dynamic these new characters bring to the group make for some of the most entertaining scenes in the entire franchise. However, since they are mainly just extensions of the main four, they are pretty thin as individual personas.
The main plot of ZOMBIELAND TOO follows the gang as they attempt to find Little Rock after she ran away with an individual (unnamed due to spoilers). Columbus, Tallahassee, and Wichita embark on a journey that takes them all the way across the country to hopefully save LR from certain death. You know how earlier I mentioned zombies were now extinct in Zombieland? I lied. You see, while the regular, lumbering creatures from the first film have no interest in humans anymore, rendering them essentially extinct, they have been replaced by SUPER ZOMBIES—giant, muscular, incredibly tough beings that are only able to be killed through a headshot. A horde of these super-zombies has been migrating from city to city, destroying everything in its wake. And it’s up to the gang to finally put an end to this bloodshed, or face extinction themselves.
What follows on this journey is plenty of laughs, thrills, and action that almost makes the first film look like child’s play in comparison. The opening credits itself is one of the most entertaining parts from either movie.
That being said, it’s definitely not perfect— far from it. There’s a particular celebrity cameo towards the end that really started to get on my nerves. Mainly because they kept repeating the same line over and over… and over. Like, we get the bloody joke already! Move on! Likewise, not all the humor works. There are some fart jokes here and there that made me cringe, hard. They were such radical departures from the rest of the film’s comedy that they ultimately took me out of the experience. Structurally, the film could also use some work, with the 3rd act being sloppily strung together. What seemed like the climax of the film, was actually only the beginning of the last act and an even bigger climax occurred later. It needs to have a far more natural, less irregular build up. Often the film can fall into schmaltziness and angst—especially regarding the romance. It doesn’t feel natural at any point and needs to be significantly improved. Also, as I said before, the new characters are quite thin and could use some more characterization.
Through and through, ZOMBIELAND TOO is an excellent sequel to the first film. It gets the charm, heart, and character down to a T, and still provides an interestingly unique take on the zombie genre. The new additions to the group are ultimately positive, despite being slightly underdeveloped. And the action easily surpasses the first in every way. It has its issues, but it’s still a very good follow up to Fleisher’s original. If you’re a fan, like me, of ZOMBIELAND, definitely check this one out when it eventually comes to theatres. Even if you’re not a fan, check it out. It’ll be worth it.
Again, the plot seems rather fleshed out here, and the insider almost makes it sound as if they’ve seen the movie which hasn’t filmed yet past just reading the script. I’d take this one with a grain of salt for the time being.
Do you think this will be the actual plot for ‘Zombieland 2’? If this is, are you excited about the film or annoyed by the concept? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Splash Report
