This sequel to the zany, cine-literate sleeper hit from 2009 reunites stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin with director Ruben Fleischer (Venom) and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool). The gang’s all here, but maybe finding free days in their diaries left them all tuckered out, because it all feels tired.
As before, its a world overrun by zombies. There’s middle-aged redneck Tallahassee (Harrelson), kvetching liberal Columbus (Eisenberg) and two sisters (Stone, pictured, and Breslin). The plot is barely there — one sister wants to break away from the alt-family unit; the zombies have got a bit smarter.
The jokes are smug and conservative with a small “c”. It’s almost physically frustrating to see hugely funny Stone stymied by a script that just wants to get her back in bed with Einsenberg.
We get two new female characters: a dumb hottie and a cool hottie. The latter (Rosario Dawson) is wowed by Tallahassee’s Elvis impressions and his supposedly irresistible charm.
If you’re in the mood for a Harrelson vehicle, and/or you get off on knowing zombie carnage, then it’s your lucky night. Either way, don’t leave before the end credits. God bless Bill Murray; he’s the light at the end of a very long tunnel.
