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Disney movies have been childhood favorites for generations—and not just the ones in theaters. Disney Channel Original movies may be made for cable TV, but films like 2006’s High School Musical and 2015’s Descendants have been overnight hits, taking elementary schools, toy departments, and Halloween costume parties by storm. And with Zombies, Disney sets out to make kids fall in love with the undead.
Zombies takes place 50 years after an unfortunate lime soda incident turned half of the residents of the prim and proper town of Seabrook into brain-eating zombies. Thanks to modern technology, zombies are now able to control their urges—and their children are finally being allowed to attend normal high school. Teen zombie Zed (Milo Manheim) can’t wait to try out for the football team, but he soon finds that the school can’t accept anything (or anyone) that’s different. And, along with perky cheerleader Addison (Meg Donnelly), who’s hiding a difference of her own, he struggles to fit in and follow his dreams.
Disney definitely knows how to take a made-for-TV movie and turn it into a mega-hit. But while Zombies still has the music and choreography and teen romance of other Disney Channel hits, it doesn’t have quite the same appeal.
All of the usual ingredients are here. There are plenty of over-the-top characters—especially ridiculously villainous head cheerleader Bucky (Trevor Tordjman) and his loyal followers or my personal favorite, lovable zombie Bonzo (James Godfrey). There’s a cute (but, let’s be honest here, totally bizarre) teen romance between the pretty but insecure cheerleader and the charming zombie football star. There are still plenty of sing-along songs and massive dance sequences—though, unfortunately, the songs here just aren’t as catchy as others have been. And, most importantly, there’s a valuable lesson about being yourself and not changing who you are to make other people happy.
Perhaps the movie’s greatest challenge, then, is its story. The zombie apocalypse story doesn’t exactly feel like the foundation for a fun, fluffy Disney Channel musical, and the clash between green-haired zombie teens and the pastel-perfect cheerleaders isn’t especially interesting. Meanwhile, the whole setup is so filled with plot holes that even my five-year-old wasn’t buying it. And when a kid is unable to suspend disbelief for a colorful sing-along Disney Channel movie, there’s definitely a problem.
Of course, there’s still plenty for kids to enjoy about the latest Disney Channel musical. It’s cute and colorful with some likable heroes and totally blatant bad guys. But it probably won’t have many kids trading in their purple Mal wigs for something greener.
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