Can you believe it’s been a full decade since the snarky zombie comedy (or zom-com) “Zombieland” (2009) made its appearance in movie theaters? To celebrate the occasion, director Ruben Fleisher and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick decided to create a sequel. Crucially, they successfully reunited the original cast for “Zombieland: Double Tap”, and named it after one of the entries of Columbus’ (Jesse Eisenberg) endless list of rules for zombie survival.Columbus’ amusingly pragmatic narration serves as the voice of the film this time around as well, making for some frequently funny but also occasionally awkward commentary. It also serves reminder that the original “Zombieland” was Jesse Eisenberg’s breakout role back in 2009, as his neurotic demeanor perfectly complimented his character’s methodical attitude towards life after the zombie apocalypse.In fact, in the ten years that have passed, all the principle actors have gone on to further success, enabling the promotional posters to use their last names in bold print as a selling point. All four actors have now earned Academy Award nominations- Jesse Eisenberg for “The Social Network” (2010), Woody Harrelson most recently for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), with Abigail Breslin receiving hers back in 2006 for “Little Miss Sunshine”. Emma Stone’s star has certainly risen the highest, after winning her Academy Award for “La La Land” (2016) and earning a couple of nominations for “Birdman” (2014) and “The Favorite” (2018) as well. It gives the reunited cast the thespian accolades you would expect more from an award winning period drama rather than an edgy zom-com, making this reunion all the more worthy of celebration.The movie certainly starts off promisingly enough, as grisly kill shots of various zombies are featured in slow motion to the darkly dramatic strains of Metallica. It all memorably takes place on the front lawn of the White House, a detail that suggests a level of satire here that actually never makes an appearance.This initial mix of exhilaration and disappointment is emblematic of the movie as a whole, as the film is both very funny and a bit overly familiar at the same time. The movie’s sarcastic tone once again allows the jokes to fly fast and furious, with most of them sticking, making for a frequently hilarious, laugh-out-loud experience. At the same time, much of the plot is a contrived affair, merely an excuse for the actors to bring their familiar charm into play as events unfold.In fact, it’s this onscreen chemistry between the actors that is easily the film’s biggest selling point. The comic banter between Harrelson’s somewhat sadistic Tallahassee and the high strung Columbus is frequently very entertaining, with their personality friction delivering some of the movie’s funniest moments. Meanwhile the introduction of a new love interest for Columbus allows Emma Stone to exploit Wichita’s sarcastic nature to new heights, milking withering looks and clever quips for maximum entertainment value.The movie even manages to introduce a few new characters to the mix, with various levels of success. Avan Jogia’s Berkeley is unfortunately a dull hippie stereotype that merely serves as a plot motor for our makeshift family to search for Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) after she has flown the coop with him. Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch also make an appearance here as Albuquerque and Flagstaff respectively, characters that serve as doppelgangers of Tallahassee and Columbus in a premise that starts off promisingly but fails to capitalize on the situation’s potential.On the other hand, there’s Rosario Dawson’s memorable turn as Nevada, the proudly self-reliant proprietor of a Graceland-substitute hotel. Her romantic chemistry with Harrelson’s Tallahassee is a high point of the movie, and admittedly a lot more convincing than anything between Columbus and Wichita here.Best of all, however, is Zoey Deutch’s hilarious turn as the vacuous Madison, with the actress taking what could have been another tired stereotype and turning it into a highlight of the movie. Of course, it may require forgetting for a moment the logistics of how such a dim-witted princess-type could survive in a zombie apocalypse for so long. (Although the explanation of hiding out in a shopping mall’s frozen yogurt store freezer is amusingly true to her character, even serving as a throwback reference to George Romero’s 1979 zombie classic “Dawn of the Dead”). However Deutch uses the friction between her ditzy blond and the no-nonsense survivalist attitude of the rest of the cast to create many hilarious moments that make her character’s incongruous nature a welcome treat.Perhaps the success of the character of Madison stands out as much as it does is because it’s a new element that actually works in a movie that seems more content to coast by on the successful formula of the original “Zombieland”. While the plot of “Zombieland: Double Tap” may be as memorable as your typical elevator ride, the chemistry between the actors and their characters’ personal charm make up for much of these failings. For that reason, “Zombieland: Double Tap” is sure to please fans of the first movie, as the filmmakers and their talented cast have resurrected the original movie’s initial appeal long after many would have left it for dead.Rated R.