Zombieland 2: Double Tap was a highly anticipated sequel that came out of nowhere to many people’s satisfaction, but even though the follow-up does a lot of things right, its end credits material leaves much to be desired.
Ruben Fleischer’s pair of Zombieland movies are a fantastic mix of horror and comedy as the movie paints a picture of a very different kind of zombie apocalypse. Zombieland and its sequel contain explicit gore and over the top kills, but also manages to be an intimate character piece that largely succeeds because of the cast.
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Zombieland 2 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel and it wisely banks on the relationships and chemistry of the film’s extremely talented cast. The sequel explores how all of these characters have grown and changed since the first film and Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Abigail Breslin all get to have so much fun in the zombie slaying film. There are many gags from the first movie that get called back to in this sequel, usually to good effect. However, when this approach is applied to a certain joke for the movie’s big post-credits finish it experiences diminishing returns.
Zombieland 2 Has The Most Embarrassing End Credits Scene Ever
One of the most surprising and hilarious moments from the original Zombieland is when Bill Murray makes a surprise cameo as a very nonplussed member of the undead. Murray really shines in this surprise appearance, but Zombieland 2 decides to unnecessarily milk the idea for the sequel. The mid-credits scene shows a flashback to Bill Murray’s press circuit for a fictitious third Garfield film.
It’s during this interview that Murray first witnesses the zombie outbreak and then falls victim to it. A further post-credits moment shows Murray working on a Garfield-esque hairball. This joke feels desperate more than anything else and the fact that it incorporates several real-life journalists, like Al Roker, adds another confusing layer to the scene. Zombieland 2: Double Tap contains a lot of other fun celebrity surprises and it likely would have played better if they just got someone else instead of running the risk of tarnishing one of the best jokes from the original film.
The use of one of Murray’s co-stars from Ghostbusters could have worked just as well rather than more or less doing the same idea from before. Furthermore, this gag could have worked better if it wasn’t reserved for the end of the movie. If it was a joke that was reserved for the film’s trailer or just casually made in passing during the middle of the movie, there would be less riding on Zombieland 2: Double Tap’s awkward conclusion.
