[yasr_overall_rating]
Students from Zombietown are transferred to a high school in a suburban town preoccupied with uniformity, traditions and pep rallies.
Three years after Disney released “Descendants,” and last year the sequel, we now have “Zombies,” which is the same movie with minor differences. Instead of royalty, this movie has Stepford teenagers, and instead of children of villains, you guessed it, zombies. Otherwise, the plot is the same with a few minor changes: the bad guys integrated into the good guys’ high school and changes everyone’s lives. Add in a few pom-poms and a football team and you have a movie that will charm kids from ages seven to fourteen. I preferred “Descendants” as I would rather have the back history that was lacking in “Zombies,” but what can you expect from a TV movie?
Fifty years ago, a local plant exploded lime slime and turned half the town into zombies. The local town of Seabrook segregated the monsters outside town with a barrier while scientists searched for a cure for the undead. The cure came in the form of smart bracelets and finally, the zombies were given a bit of space in the perfect human world. Because of their tendency to eat flesh, the humans deprived zombies of not only an education but also computer class, cheerleading, and football tryouts. Unsurprisingly, the warm-blooded teeny-boppers feared their new brain sucking classmates despite the new technology.
Before long, human cheerleader Addison (Meg Donnelly) falls for football star zombie Zed (Milo Manheim). Neither side of the students support their unconventional union, but none more than cheer-squad leader Bucky (Trevor Tordjman), who is Addison’s cousin. His mission is to remove the zombies from the school and remain the top of the school’s hierarchy. With Zed as his nemesis, Bucky launches a full anti-zombie campaign and blackmails Addison onto his side. As the star football player, Zed sways the school over to the dead side as he gains popularity. His desire to prove himself worthy to the humans, he messes with his zombie-band to play better but eventually puts everyone in danger — from him and his zombie friends. Will Zed ever be able to win Addison and fend off Bucky without going full night-of-the-living-dead?
“Zombies” is not Disney’s best work. Campy movies are great as a genre but need to have something that sets them apart since they are usually so unbelievable to begin with. Sorry, I’m not buying integrating creatures who eat human brains. If my kids were attending a high school filled with creatures who would kill them if a bracelet fell off, you can be sure I would be moving. Some beings just will not integrate, like vampires, except the vegetarians we all know and love. The acting was fine, the singing and songs were fine, not great. If I were you I would just Tivo the movie and delete once your kids have watched it, I doubt they will go back to watch “Zombies” again.
Available on Disney Blu-ray & DVD April 24th
