I saw Zombieland 2...

After a long stretch, a "Zombieland" sequel comes our way, directed by Ruben Fleischer and penned by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham: all but the latter having worked on the first flick.

The original chapter was culled from a proposed, television series that didn't reach fruition due to its violent content. (This was long before "The Walking Dead" rose on AMC). In the theatrical film's wake, another "Zombieland" show was proposed. That also fizzled, thus circling back to another, big-screen treatment, subtitled "Double Tap".

"Double Tap" begins where the first left off (well, ten years after, in fact), with the same flippant but sensible, survival tips displayed on screen and the same neurotic characters enacting them: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg); Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson); Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). They're comedy's answer to George A. Romero's classic living-dead strugglers and hold their own with "Walking Dead'"s somber sect. They're western heroes at heart, but that only goes to reason, since the "Zombieland" saga is a disguised western at heart. 

The sequel's concept grants a further dip into self-discovery, with two of the leads branching beyond their comfort zone: an allegorical essay on why kids (and spouses) sometimes decide to stray. We got a taste of this in the first flick, but the motif is more involving this time, since there's more at stake, considering the members have formed a stronger, long-term, family bond.

The zombies are more cunning than they were before (well, speedier and stronger, that is, much like those of "Dawn of the Dead '04").  For any of the leads to fly the coop could place all in jeopardy (whether directly or indirectly, close or from afar), including the film's new participants (Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch and Zoey Deutch). BTW: Bill Murray is back, but not as a zombie. Thank the Lord for clever flashbacks.

What works here worked in the first film: Harrelson is masterful at delivering his dry, everyman humor. (His respectful nods to Elvis Presley are even funnier than his expressed love for Twinkies.) Eisenberg is equally effective as a zombie-apocalypse Jean Shepherd. The two click as well as any Stan and Ollie wannabes could. 

On the down side, one could argue that, despite its better traits, "Double Tap" doesn't inject anything new into the genre, but at least (unlike the recent "The Dead Don't Die") it doesn't get all damn preachy and divisive. "Double Tap" works because it knows it's another zombie comedy, no more or less. It's also an ideal submission for Halloween. That's good enough for me. If you're a zombie fan who likes a lotta bite in your survivalist fight, it'll be good enough for you. 

I saw Maggie...

"Maggie" is a quiet, contemplative flesh-eating zombie yarn, and I suppose its trailer conveys that, even though Arnold Schwarzenegger's presence might lead one to believe it's action-oriented.

If anything, "Maggie" is an allegorical tale, about an adolescent, portrayed by Abigail Breslin, who becomes infected during the early phases of a vicious viral outbreak: the potential forerunner to those events we witness in George Romero's zombie movies or AMC's "Walking Dead".

Schwarzenegger plays Wade Vogel, Maggie's conscientious dad, and the story focuses on their relationship, even though Wade's spouse, Caroline (Joely Richardson), also figures significantly into the relationship.

For all intents and purposes, Maggie could be afflicted with cancer, diagnosed to live but for a short time before her disease takes her life. However, there's the imminent danger of what Maggie will become once her disease reaches fruition, and it then comes down to how she should be terminated before she turns inhuman. 

Maggie's condition is a great burden on Wade's shoulders, one which he takes with honor and dignity, and most folks within his rural community are sympathetic to the situation, such as Dr. Kaplan (Jodie Moore) and the local law enforcement (J.D. Evermore and Douglas M. Griffin). However, as Maggie's condition worsens, Wade is urged to take action. Should he deposit his daughter at an isolation facility to die or administer her death himself?

Schwarzenegger's performance is wrought with subdued dread and a humble need to do what's right. In many respects, like his daughter, he's in a no-win situation. One can't help but feel for him and his family. 

Thanks to writer John Scott 3 and director Henry Hobson's careful handling of the subject matter, "Maggie" becomes identifiable, for sooner or later, we must all come to terms with a loved one's passing. How Wade and Maggie cope with the situation is what makes the film memorable. It also makes "Maggie" more than a gruesome rehash (in fact, there's hardly any carnage in the film), choosing instead to fill its minutes with tender characterization.

Produced by Schwarzenegger (along with Mathew Baer, Colin Bates, Joey Tufaro and Trevor Kauffman), "Maggie" is likely to gain attention if only due to its mega-star's inclusion, which is good, since it's current release is unfortunately limited. All the same, the movie is destined to find a larger audience down the line. By injecting compassion into an unsettling scenario, it manages to defy expectations, becoming what few of us would have dared anticipated: a strange but touching family drama.