zombies 2 movie review

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 81% Alien: Romulus Link to Alien: Romulus
• 100% Daughters Link to Daughters
• 78% Cuckoo Link to Cuckoo

New TV Tonight

• 96% Industry: Season 3
• 91% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 100% Solar Opposites: Season 5
• 58% Emily in Paris: Season 4
• 60% Rick and Morty: The Anime: Season 1
• -- Bel-Air: Season 3
• -- SEAL Team: Season 7
• -- RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars: Season 1
• -- Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures: Season 2
• -- Worst Ex Ever: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 53% The Umbrella Academy: Season 4
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 82% A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season 1
• 100% Women in Blue: Season 1
• 78% Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 91% Bad Monkey: Season 1 Link to Bad Monkey: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

All James Cameron Movies Ranked

Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

James Wan’s Teacup : Premiere Date, Trailer, Cast & More

2024 Emmy Awards Ballot: Complete with Tomatometer and Audience Scores

• Trending on RT
• Best New Horror Movies
• Re-Release Calendar
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Popular Series on Neflix

Zombies 2 Reviews

While Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and its sequel are obviously this decade's High School Musical, it does have its own distinctive flavor.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 4, 2020

Sweet sequel promotes inclusion, challenges stereotypes.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 27, 2020

How do you dislike dancing zombies and werewolves? With little to no violence, sound messages of acceptance, and catchy songs, Zombies 2 is fun and appropriate for the whole family!

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 19, 2020

Even with its flaws, Zombies 2 does what it needs to do. It has a positive message with a charismatic cast and energetic musical performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 17, 2020

With a compelling plot, amazing new songs and dances, and some real life lessons, Zombies 2 proved that a sequel can be better than the original.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 17, 2020

Is Zombies 2 Worth Watching? Complete Review

By Epic Dope Staff

Updated: September 6, 2020

No Comments on Is Zombies 2 Worth Watching? Complete Review

Is Zombies 2 Any Good? Worth Your Time? A Complete Review

When Disney came out with Zombies in 2018, the lazy title and the falling quality of their original films made several people skeptical about watching the movie.

But it managed to win over viewers with its catchy soundtrack and a plot with some deep positive messages about inclusivity. ‘Zombies 2’ features more of the same and throws another shunned minority in the mix- the hip and cool werewolves. Read on for a complete review.

1. Article Summary

2. is it worth watching, ii. cast & characters, iii. visuals & music, 3. final thoughts.

The action once again takes us back to the fictional town of Seabrook, which had accepted its zombie residents and removed anti-monster laws. When a new threat looms in the surrounding woods, the residents once again start shutting themselves in. The movie makes us revise the lesson of tolerance and inclusivity it taught in the first.

Disney has done a good job of creating content for the 9-14 age group that is often neglected. The original movie focused on the fear that existed among the uniform and boring human kids towards the zombie individualists.

It ended with the two communities accepting and co-existing with each other, but in the sequel, when Werewolves show up in the town is quick to put up its boundaries once again.

During the founding years of the town of Seabrook, settlers fought of werewolves from a large moonstone . They kept it hidden underground for years. In the present, Zombietown and Seabrook have settled their differences and co-exist peacefully. When the local werewolves start losing the power of their moonstone bracelets, they return to town to search for the ancient moonstone.

Zed and Addison have started planning their Prawn (Seabrook’s version of Prom), and the bracelets which give the werewolves their abilities need to be recharged. A prophecy states that a girl with white hair will be hailed as the Great Alpha and will guide the werewolves to the moonstone.

The town reinstates its Anti-Monster Laws to keep the werewolf threat out and Zed and Addison try to figure out a way to help the werewolves and go to prom together.

Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly return as Zed and Addison the duo taking center stage . They do a great job and deliver enthusiastic performances as the high school couple battling prejudice and balancing love and insecurities.

The usual high school tropes of the football team and the cheerleading squad make up the side characters. The pack of werewolves starring Chandler Kinney and Pearce Joza also do a good job as the funky and distressed werewolves.

There are two standout things about the production design and makeup of the movie. The first is that Disney succeeded in transforming zombies and werewolves, a scary and nightmarish invention into kid-friendly monsters.

Make-up head Julia Valente and Costume Designer Trysha Bakker told that they had extensive meetings to decide every small detail from the amount of fur to fingernail length while designing characters. Their goal was to water down the scary and creepy to a PG-13 level, and they have succeeded once again.

Like other Disney originals such as High School Musical Zombies 2 features a catchy soundtrack with groovy dance moves. They will surely hook your child’s attention and also help in the progression of the plot. This does not make the songs feel out of place and stupid, which does happen in some musicals.

The production design features a color palette of purple and green, with a dash of neon. While one thinks that this will feel nauseating and strain your eyes, it comes together quite well . It adds a surreal and swirly aura to the movie, which makes the dance pieces pop.

Zombies 2 is an entertaining watch with strong lead performances and catchy tunes. It spreads the positive message of breaking down barriers and hopefully will start conversations about inclusiveness in every household.

It is fun to watch with some mild scares and will have a positive impact on the viewers. The returning cast and directors give it a familiar feel. At the same time, the werewolves provide extra drama and surprise to the party. Ever since its premiere on Disney Channel, the movie has received positive responses.

Cinematography/Animation: A-

Direction: B

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment. If you are logged in, please refresh. Thanks.

Related articles

Entire MCU Watch Order: Release Order and Chronological Order

Is ‘Sofia the First’ Worth Watching? Worth Your Time? A Review

Is ‘YOU’ Worth Watching? Worth Your Time? A Complete Review

What Are The Zombies Afraid Of In Kingdom?

Is ‘SCOOB!’ Worth Watching? Worth Your Time? A Complete Review

Is Shironeko Project Worth Watching? A Complete Review

Is Dracula Any Worth Your Time? A Complete Review

Is HBO’s McMillions Worth Watching? Is it any good? Complete Review

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Zombies 2 Parent Guide

This fluffy little kids movie digs into some serious issues..

Disney+: Zombies and werewolves collide at Seabrook High School. And you thought your teen years were tough.

Release date August 14, 2020

Run Time: 84 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

To begin with, I must confess that I have never seen the original Zombies movie. I can also tell you that it doesn’t matter. Zombies 2 has such a simple plot that it can be followed by any sentient human being. The kids and tweens it’s aimed at will undoubtedly have a fun time with its frothy song and dance numbers and predictable storyline.

The film opens on a cheerful note, “Welcome back to Seabrook where belonging is everything.” Zombies wear wrist bands that domesticate them, keeping their violent and brain-eating impulses in check and allowing them to attend school and go to work. They are soon to learn that belonging is not a guarantee when differences are considered dangerous.

Zombies 2 is not a scary movie. It’s more like High School Musical with green haired zombies mixing happily with pastel-clad human classmates. Characters are poorly developed, generally with one identifying trait, and the acting measures up to the writing. Fortunately, there’s not much negative content with only a few scary moments of zombie transformation.

Oddly enough, this fluffy-looking movie digs into some serious issues, the first of which is accepting yourself for who you are. Zed is determined to prove to everyone that he isn’t a monster – until he accepts that, yes, he is a monster and being a monster can be good. The second issue concerns accepting differences in other social groups. Zombies have been accepted in Seabrook because they have completely assimilated the social norms of the town. Zed believes so strongly in this approach that he lectures the werewolves on their need to act more like humans. The parallels between this plot thread and cotemporary debates on immigration are hard to miss. The final plot point concerns the werewolves, who are clearly standing in for indigenous peoples. “How can we be trespassing on our own land?” one of the werewolves asks as they seek a long-lost artifact with special powers.

If you’re concerned that this movie might feel like a political rant, don’t worry. It’s fundamentally a lighthearted rom-com for kids. The complex issues it references certainly consume a fair bit of adults’ brains, but they are unlikely to get much bandwidth with young viewers. A more general message of accepting people who are different and working together to help each other is likely what they’ll pick up from the film. And that shouldn’t scare anyone.

About author

Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for zombies 2.

Zombies 2 Rating & Content Info

Why is Zombies 2 rated TV-G? Zombies 2 is rated TV-G by the MPAA

Violence: A girl is frightened by strange noises in the forest. Claw marks are seen on a front door. A zombie transforms in a couple of scenes. A zombie throws a werewolf. A werewolf mentions spattering blood. Sexual Content: A teen boy and girl kiss. Profanity: None noted. Very rare name calling – “freak”, “monster”, etc. Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

Page last updated October 27, 2020

Zombies 2 Parents' Guide

Bucky says “I’m not anti-change. I’m pro keeping things the way they are cause you don’t mess with success.” What effect does this attitude have on the zombies?

When Bucky runs for student body president, he tries to use fear to stop people from voting for Zed. Why is fear an effective tool in politics? Have you seen a politician use fear to motivate voters?

Why does Zed resent the werewolves? Why does he think they are having everything handed to them on a silver platter? What changes his mind?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

Zombie fiction comes in lots of flavors. On the goofy side, Zack Zombie’s series begins with Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Book 1: A Scare of a Dare. This lighthearted series is suitable for older elementary school kids. Also appropriate for this age group is The Zombie Chasers by John Kloepfer and Steve Wolfhard.

Dead City by James Ponti tells the story of Molly, who’s hunting zombies in NYC. But she doesn’t know if her mother is alive, dead, or undead. Ty Drago’s Undertakers: The Rise of the Corpses begins with a harrowing premise: aliens are inhabiting dead bodies. Kids who can see the real zombies are tasked with saving the world. Hunting zombies is especially difficult when you know who they used to be, as Benny learns in Rot & Ruin. Written by Jonathan Mayberry, this novel has humans hiding in compounds and hunting the zombies who roam the landscape, seeking living food.

The most recent home video release of Zombies 2 movie is August 14, 2020. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:.

The Addams Family animated film shares an almost identical message of accepting people with diverse backgrounds. The challenges of understanding past mistreatment of indigenous peoples is addresses in Frozen II .

On a more lighthearted note, monsters receive the comic treatment in Hotel Transylvania . Monsters also take center stage in Pixar’s classic, Monsters, Inc.

Related news about Zombies 2

Coming to Disney+ in August

{parents:pull_quote}

Disney Channel’s Zombies 2 Review: Better Than The First One

Zombies 2, Disney Channel’s latest original movie, is finally out and it exceeded all of my expectations. A sequel is rarely better than the first, especially when it comes to TV movies. With an amazing soundtrack & a compelling plot, Zombies 2 is the exception.

In my opinion, the Disney Channel always does a great job with their original movies. I have two young daughters so you know we always tune in the week that they are aired. The movies are often ones that I enjoy just as much as they do. Zombies was no different. We have seen that movie more times than I can count. I ran into Meg Donnelly (Addison) at the Avengers: Endgame premiere and she was kind enough to make a video for my daughters. That is something I will never forget (and neither will they). 

When the news broke that there would be a Zombies 2, we were thrilled. I personally love the story of Zed and Addison, and could not wait to see what they had been up to since the first movie. I didn’t expect Zombies 2 to be better than Zombies though. A sequel is rarely better than the first, especially when it comes to TV movies. And the Zombies soundtrack was amazing — how were they going to beat that? 

Well, they did. With a compelling plot, amazing new songs and dances, and some real life lessons, Zombies 2 proved that a sequel can be better than the original.

A Killer Soundtrack

One of my favorite things about the first Zombies was the soundtrack. The Disney Channel tends to have a way with musicals — High School Musical and Descendants immediately come to mind. I expected the songs in Zombies 2 to be good, but I didn’t think any would surpass BAMM or Someday. Then Zombies 2 came out and wow, every song just got better and better. 

With the addition of the werewolves, we also got some really great songs and dance moves. I was rocking out, along with my daughters, during every song. Each one propelled the moment in the plot exactly how it was meant to. And yes, a couple of the songs made me shed some tears.

Exciting New Characters

When continuing on a story one of the best things you can do is add new and exciting characters. And that is exactly what Zombies 2 did. With the addition of more monsters — this time werewolves — into Seabrook, a new and compelling story was brought about. The werewolves don’t exactly want to fit in with the humans, or zombies for that matter. But they need to find something that was stolen from them before it kills them all. 

I was instantly hooked by the story line. It totally made sense and didn’t seem at all like Disney was grasping for straws. There were no lulls, and I loved every minute of this movie.

Zed’s Turn To Learn A Lesson

In the first Zombies movie, Zed struggles to prove to everyone that he is not the monster they think he is. However, in Zombies 2, he treats the werewolves exactly how he was treated. It is his turn to learn and grow, and it takes a lot to happen for him to see what he is actually doing. Being a hypocrite. 

For Zed, the most important thing is fitting in. It always has been. He wants to be seen as a human and not a monster. In doing so, he loses himself. And it takes him a while to find his way back on track. I think his struggles are important for kids to see, so they don’t make the same mistakes. Kids need to learn to be themselves, no matter what.

Addison Struggles To Find Acceptance

At the same time that Zed is going through his struggles, Addison is going through her own. She has always felt like she didn’t fit in. Not with the cheerleaders, and not with the zombies. All she wants is to find her place, her pack. 

Really, this is the same lesson for kids to learn. Be yourself. Even if it feels like no one understands you sometimes, it is more important to remain true to yourself. 

Overall Thoughts

Zombies was a fantastic Disney Channel Original Movie, but Zombies 2 was even better. They stepped up their soundtrack game, and introduced some real life lessons. The introduction of new monsters in town, the plot thickens. Zed and Addison are both going through their own struggles, and learn a lot about themselves in the process of working through them. 

Zombies 2 was left with a big cliffhanger, so my fingers are crossed for a Zombies 3!

Check out my favorite quotes from Zombies 2 !

About Zombies 2

Chronicling the continuing adventures of Seabrook High students Addison and Zed, whose budding romance is threatened by the arrival of werewolves.

Watch Zombies 2 on The Disney Channel or Disney Now!

Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.

Pingback: Walking The Carpet At The Mulan World Premiere In LA

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Diabolical Plots

From Inspiration to Ink…

MOVIE REVIEW: ZOMBIES 2

written by David Steffen

ZOMBIES 2 is a 2020 Disney Channel original movie musical romance, a sequel to the 2018 Disney Channel original movie ( reviewed here ). Headlining the cast again are cheerleader Addison (Meg Donnelly) and the zombie football player Zed (Milo Manheim) after the school integrated rehabilated zombies into the human culture in the town of Seabrook, the zombies rendered mostly normal by a newer technology called “Z-bands” that use electric current to help zombies retain self-control.

Zombies are gaining wider and wider acceptance, and now they will even be allowed to attend Prawn (the school’s super-prom, renamed because of their shrimp mascot). That doesn’t mean that everyone accepts the zombies as equals, but steps are moving in the right direction. Until now that zombies have started to be acceptable as normal, the whole town is thrown into panic when a pack of werewolves comes into town, with unknown intentions.

As with the previous movie, it’s less about a sensible plot and more about setting up the musical numbers. There were more catchy songs in the first one, and in my opinion too much of the plot was spent with jealousy between the young romantic leads, particularly Zed’s jealousy when Addison starts showing more and more interest in the werewolves because she doesn’t feel like she fits in with any group.

But, not a bad teen musical movie, though the first one was catchier.

Published by

David Steffen

David Steffen is an editor, publisher, and writer. If you like what he does you can visit the Support page or buy him a coffee ! He is probably best known for being co-founder and administrator of The Submission Grinder , a donation-supported tool to help writers track their submissions and find publishers for their work . David is also the editor-in-chief here at Diabolical Plots . He is also the editor and publisher of The Long List Anthology: More Stories From the Hugo Award Nomination List series. David also (sometimes) writes fiction, and you can follow on BlueSky for updates on cross-stitch projects and occasionally other things. View all posts by David Steffen

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Account Settings
• The Disney Bundle
• Parks & Travel
• Walt Disney World
• Disney Cruise Line
• All Parks & Travel
• Movies Anywhere
• 20th Century Studios
• Accessories
• Disney News
• Disney on Broadway
• Disney on Ice
• Disney Live!
• Walt Disney World Resort
• Disneyland Resort
• Aulani - A Disney Resort and Spa
• Adventures by Disney
• Disney Vacation Club
• D23: The Official Disney Fan Club

Fantasy, Musical, Romance

BAMM! Music-and dance-filled Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES is back and better than ever! In the highly anticipated sequel ZOMBIES 2, Zed and Addison continue to steer both their school and community towards unity, but the arrival of a new group of outsiders –mysterious werewolves –threatens to shake up the newfound peace and causes a rift in Zed and Addison's budding romance.

Directed By

Produced by.

• motionpictures.org
• filmratings.com

ZOMBIES 2 | Official Trailer

DVD Now Available | ZOMBIES 2

Recommended movies.

Freaky Friday

Teen Beach Movie

Let it Shine

Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure

Lemonade Mouth

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam

The Cheetah Girls: One World

High School Musical 2

High School Musical

The Cheetah Girls 2

The Cheetah Girls

Haunted Mansion

The Little Mermaid

Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder

• National Geographic

• WHAT’S NEW
• AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
• WHAT TO WATCH ON DISNEY+

ZOMBIES 2 Review

The Disney Channel takes on zombies again, and also tackles werewolves in the Disney Channel Original Movie, “ZOMBIES 2.” After the events of the first “ZOMBIES” film, the zombies and humans now go to school together, but on the way back from cheer camp, the cheerleaders discover a pack of werewolves that are looking for a moonstone that gives them their power. It’s a story about celebrating differences; and learning that even though you have fought for your own acceptance, you can still have your own prejudices that you need to overcome.

While not as poignant as it was in “The Color of Friendship,” the message that just because someone looks different is no reason to treat them differently shines through. The film is incredibly cheesy, but it’s a Disney Channel Original Movie, of course it’s cheesy. It’s a made for TV movie about zombies, werewolves and high school. There was no possible way this wouldn’t be cheesy. Even though, it was cheesy, it was a lot of fun. There’s some great dance moves during the musical segments. Most of the actors are very talented singers and dancers, even if their acting leaves a lot to be desired.

As an adult, I’m clearly no longer the target demographic for this type of movie, but I can certainly see why those right in the age to watch Disney Channel Original Movies would love this film. It’s not the best DCOM I’ve ever seen. Even as an adult, trying to judge these as if I was still a kid watching them for the first time, there have been better DCOMs recently, but it’s still very good for what it’s supposed to be. Yes, as an adult, I would prefer a more serious tone for a film featuring both zombies and werewolves, but if my kids want to watch this film; or even the first “ZOMBIES” film, I would gladly sit down and watch it with them and have a nice family night.

I am curious to see what will happen to these kids that star in this film. The DCOMs from my youth featured young actors and actresses who went on to become bona fide stars; including Kaley Cuoco, Emmy Rossum and Shia LaBeouf. Others also brought in well known names of the past; including Kirk Cameron, James Avery and Sherman Helmsley. Plus, we all know what happened with most of the “High School Musical” crew after those films, whether we saw the films or not. I hope to see more from some of these kids as they graduate beyond Disney Channel films.

This isn’t my favorite Disney Channel Original Movie, but it’s one I enjoyed far more than I expected. It was more fun to watch than “Disney’s Descendants” or “High School Musical” were for me. I’m glad I gave it a chance for my review. And, I would definitely recommend for anyone with kids in the DCOM age range.

Ranking: 3 stars out of 5

What did you think of “ZOMBIES 2?”

Jeremy Brown

Related article.

Adam Smith Named Chief Product & Technology Officer, Disney Entertainment & ESPN

Disney+ Fails To Gain Ground On Netflix Subscriptions In The UK

Disney lawyers trying to dismiss wrong death lawsuit due to disney+ subscription clause.

• Meet The Team
• Privacy Policy

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

Zombies 2 (2020)

Latest on zombies 2 (2020).

Woman Crush Wednesday: Chandler Kinney Is A True Gem in 'Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin'

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Zombies 3' on Disney+, a Manic Musical-Comedy Where Humans, Monsters and Aliens All Find a Way to Get Along

Will There Be a ‘Zombies 4’?

Best Halloween Movies, TV Episodes and Specials To Stream on Disney+

When Is 'Zombies 2' Coming to Disney+?

Trending now.

This story has been shared 909 times. 909

This story has been shared 404 times. 404

This story has been shared 153 times. 153

This story has been shared 141 times. 141

This story has been shared 102 times. 102

This story has been shared 98 times. 98

This story has been shared 91 times. 91

This story has been shared 80 times. 80

Stream It Or Skip It?

Stream it or skip it: ‘mothers’ instinct’ on vod, a waste of two oscar winners in a confused melodrama-thriller, stream it or skip it: ‘i can’t live without you’ on netflix, a toothless spanish comedy about cell phone addiction, stream it or skip it: ‘la chimera’ on hulu, the josh o'connor-alice rohrwacher collab you didn't know would blow you away, stream it or skip it: ‘romance in the house’ on netflix, a rags-to-riches k-drama, stream it or skip it: ‘immaculate’ on hulu, a horror outing that finds sydney sweeney in the habit of delivering dread, more from decider.

Andy Cohen Implies That He Never Wants To See Or Hear From Bethenny Frankel Again On 'WWHL'

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date, 'The Madison' Spin-off Updates, And More

Is 'The View' Going Off The Air?

Where's Kelly Ripa This Week? 'Live' Co-Host's Absence Stretches Into Week Two

'The View's Whoopi Goldberg Snaps At Joy Behar While Defending Harrison Butker's Controversial Commencement Speech: "Stop That!"

'Twisters' Comes to Digital, But When Will 'Twisters' Be Streaming on Peacock?

• List of All Reviews
• Virtual Garage Sale
• Terms of Use

Monday, September 11, 2023

Disney's zombies 2 movie dolls by mattel.

September has not gotten off to a great start for me.  First of all, my newest rescue dog, Kit, was recently diagnosed with heart disease and bladder stones.  This involved spending a whole day at the emergency clinic with him, and stressing while he had surgery the following day.  Literally one day after the surgery, I had to travel (with all five dogs in tow) to take care of some family business, which was both physically and mentally exhausting.  These are not the worst problems in the world to have, but they're why I haven't posted anything for a while.

Needless to say, I was extremely happy to get back into the swing of things this past week.  I'm delighted to be sitting here typing up a new review, with Kit cuddled beside me--healing beautifully and filled with new-found spunk.

And of course rather than easing back into things gradually with the blog, I decided to jump in with a behemoth review.  The goal today is to look at six (yes, six) dolls from Disney's  Zombies 2  movie.  I started researching these dolls because I thought they looked fun, not because I'd actually seen the Zombies 2 movie.  In fact, I hadn't even heard of the Zombies movie franchise before I found these dolls.  The movies are similar in style and with the same target audience as shows like High School Musical and Descendants .  Movies like this tend to produce interesting and popular dolls, which was enough to get me on board for a review.  Also, I've never been one to resist a good zombie doll, especially if he has green hair:

While I was editing photographs for this review, I managed to watch all three of the  Zombies movies.  I liked the first movie quite a lot, and actually watched it twice.  It's a campy Beauty and the Beast type tale from 2018.  It has lots of catchy, over-produced songs and elaborate dance numbers.  There were no dolls made for the first movie.  

The second movie (the one that the dolls in this review are based on) was made in 2020 and is not as good as the original--at least not in my opinion.  It has a werewolf theme and the howling werewolves are too silly and awkward for my taste.  I do like werewolf dolls, though, so we'll see a few of those in today's review. 

The third Zombies movie is from 2022, and it was my least favorite by far.  I like some of the new characters and the basic plot (and okay, it made me cry once or twice), but the autotune singing is almost unbearable at times, and there are no songs that really stuck in my head.  

The third movie has an outer space theme.  The dolls from that movie were made by Hasbro and do not look as nice as the Mattel dolls:

I own a few of the Hasbro dolls and can do a review at some point if anyone is interested.

I really wish there had been dolls made from the original movie (especially if characters like Bree, Bonzo, and Zoey were included) but this is what we have.

Today's review will focus on the two main characters from the movie, Addison and Zed:

25 comments:

Very neat dolls, sorry to hear about all you have been dealing with lately. I was wondering whether anything was up with the break between posts, though you certainly shouldn't feel bad about taking as much time as you need, I completely understand that life comes first! I hope things get calmer soon. I find these dolls very intriguing, I agree that the last character you looked at had the most unique and cute doll. The clothing quality seemed a bit hit or miss but overall rather good! Thank you for the review and take care.

Thank you so much for those kind words. Life can be complex, but all is well. :)

Zed's body mold is I believe an Ever After High boy's body mold, when I compare it to your photos of Hunter Huntsman from one of your older reviews. I miss Ever After High, I hope it can come back like Monster High did.

Oh, wow! I think you're right! What an incredible memory you have--quoting me back my own review, lol. Thank you so much!! :) And I agree. It'd be great to see EAH back again. I was feeling nostalgic about them recently.

I'm sorry to hear about everything you've had on your plate lately! I hope you can have some peace and calm from here on. If it offers any giggles, I can offer some school-mastcot stories? My high school mascot was a viking, which I always thought was kind of lame tbh (I think the animal mascots are more fun and less uncanny in costume form, lol). At some point during my time at school, they erected a larger-than-life, metal viking statue in the courtyard. At first, he was holding a sword in one hand - apparently, high schoolers cannot be trusted not to mess with metal swords-attached-to-statues, and so one day it mysteriously had been removed from his hand and welded at his waist, leaving him kind of awkwardly gripping nothing. The second incident while I was still in school went as follows: one of the "extra" classes you could sign up for to fill out your schedule was "early childhood development". I never took that class myself, but it was mainly aimed at students who were interested in babysitting, or working in a nursery some day. One day, that class had the opportunity to make play-dough from scratch - one of the kids in the class decided the best thing to do with said play-dough was to model a new... attachment for the statue. So Mr. Viking got a floppy clay "member" for a surprising amount of time before any adults noticed! It was quickly removed after that, of course. (Rumor has it that they tracked down the student responsible via the color of play-dough used, because everyone had apparently made different colors.) (Also - I second the other Anon person that the body definitely looks like EAH boys, but it also has a lot of similarities to the BTS Barbie dolls, I think? I believe they have a bit more definition in their abs, but I'd be interested to see all three lined up, if you ever get the opportunity!)

Ha ha!! Oh, my goodness. That's a great story! Of *course* somebody molded an embellishment for the viking, lol. You can't have nearly as much fun with a bear mascot, let me tell you. Interesting about the BTS Barbies! I've been curious about those. Maybe I should do a review? Judging from some online pictures, I think they're slightly smaller than EAH, but it would be nice to check that in person. Thank you for the tip--and the giggles! :)

Yes, the BTS dolls have the identical 2013 EAH boy body. You can see it lined up with both MH boy bodies (G2 used that same body!) and a couple different Kens on the website of Requiem Art Designs. They are a great resource for doll comparisons and patterns!

I believe Wynter uses a Wild Hearts Crew body. Addison's (and presumably the other girls') feet/lower legs look like Wild Hearts Crew as well.

Oh, wow--you might be right! I haven't de-boxed any of my Crew yet, but the dates line up perfectly and from the pics I could find online, the bodies are definitely similar. I need to fast track that review now! Thank you so much for the help! :)

My school mascots were bear, eagle, alligator, scout (just a brown dog), knights, and warriors.

That is a LOT of mascots! Whoa! And we're fellow bears, at least in part. ;D I like the sound of the brown dog named Scout. That's super-cute. I was always jealous of friends who had dog mascots, like the UConn husky.

Sorry to hear you had a lot on your plate recently! I'm glad that Kit is doing better. Cheerleader Addison looks more like a caricature of the original actress, but all of the other face sculpts seem pretty good. The zombie dolls are especially neat. There's just something about unique skin tones in doll form. Since another commenter mentioned the BTS dolls, I still see them occasionally at Five Below. My high school mascot was the Hurricanes; needless to say, there was no mascot costume. Decades before we were the VMAcats after the school initials. Much more original than the ubiquitous Wildcats of the school I teach at (and High School Musical). Also, I just heard of geoducks for the first time a few days ago in a podcast. Funny how coincidences work.

If you want a really trippy school mascot, google Scrotie the Nads. He wasn't MY mascot, thank God (my high school ripped off Tulane University), but he is 100% real. Best wishes to your puppy dog; bladder stones are no joke.

Did you know that geoduck is correctly pronounced "gooey duck?" My high school's (actually the whole district) mascot was a blue jay. I don't remember that it had a name, just the blue jay. My college mascot was a squirrel named Gladys. Personally I'd have named a squirrel Earl, but it was an all-women's college so maybe Earl wouldn't work. lol Maybe Pearl?

I‘m so glad you and your puppy okay, I was really worried ❤️ And thank you so much for that fun review! I has Willa in my amazon basket for ages cause she looked so pretty, but I never bought her in the end cause I never watched the movies. Stupid decision:) The Zombie girl looks adorable, too ❤️

That Eliza doll is SO pretty! Sometimes there are such beautiful and unique head molds, I would love to see that face on a made to move Barbie in a normal human skin tone (sorry zombies). I actually think the Addison doll looks a lot like the actress too— it’s just that Meg Donnelly kind of looks like a Barbie anyway. What a cool lineup of dolls!

It's possible that there's a bit of the plastic tab stuck in that slot in Werewolf Addison's back! If there is and you're able to tweeze it out, she might have a longer song, it seems strangely short otherwise.

Oh, my gosh. You're a genius! That's *exactly* what happened. The plastic tab was jammed into her body and I had to (got to) do surgery with my pointy tweezers! Yay! I posted a video of the full clip at the end. THANK YOU!!!!

Oh dear, I'm glad things have calmed down in your life and everyone is doing better! Rough time! My mascots were a knight on horseback (no mascot character, this was more of a logo thing), a leprauchaun, (again, no suit, I don't think that's as common in Canada for grade school?) And finally, in college, yet another bear to add to the pile lol. You were absolutely correct that the best doll was last! Wow! I feel like she got the most love from design to execution, everything from face to outfit to hair is fabulous. And I really like that the two zombies have different skin tones, it's such a nice touch. The diversity in only 5 dolls in general is quite refreshing. Have you ever seen Warm Bodies? If you're looking for lighter zombie fair, I'm really fond of that one. :) Zed makes me think about how far boy dolls have come! I saw the shape of his head and assumed he'd be able to swivel, but that's it. Instead, he's got the best neck movement in the lot!

Poor little Kit, I hope the surgery helped her and I wish her a speedy recovery! I saw these dolls on Amazon and really liked Willa, but I saw "Disney" and was not sure what to expect. The Little Mermaid dolls for the same price had almost no articulation, and I had doubts about hair quality. To answer your question regarding school mascots, here in Eastern Europe we have no mascots, cheerleaders, and very few sports teams. For the longest time I thought cheerleaders, like zombies, only existed in movies. We have high schools named after famous people - mine was a writer/philosopher from the 20th century.

They missed four more main people the wolf teenboy who found Allison ,the black teengirl who was with the zombie teen boy who couldn't talk, The little sister of zeds , The teen boy who couldn't talk. .....Linda Kirk age58

I actually have the version of Willa that you reviewed, as well as Zombies 3 A-spen, the doll that initially drew me to this line. I couldn't say no to a blue-haired, non-binary alien doll. To give a brief review if anyone is interested - A-spen has a nice head on a terrible body. Their face is appealing and a good likeness of the actor, but it's on a super skinny, stylized body that doesn't match the realistic head at all. It does make them look like an alien.... but not in a good way. Also the neck peg is molded on to the body, so their head can't move up and down, only side to side. If I didn't get this doll in the official packaging, I would think it was an AliExpress knockoff hybrid. The worst part is that Hasbro has a well-articulated, more realistic body sculpt they used for the Marvel Rising Secret Warriors dolls, and brought back for the Reiya and the Last Dragon one. A-spen's head looks very good on this body, but I don't have one that matches their skin tone at all. (Maybe Quake would work?) Currently they're on a BTS body, which looks okay, but is more muscular than I want for them. Eventually I'd like to get them a G1 Deuce Gorgon body; it looks like a better color match, and I like that it's not as buff.

I really hope your September improves. K thru 12 mascot: a wildcat. College: a boll weevil. I was so tempted to buy that male doll, altho I've never seen those movies. My kid watched one with his college roommate -- I believe it was the third entry in the series -- and dubbed it 'an autotune nightmare' and one of the worst things he'd ever seen. Learning this doll has great articulation, however, again makes him pretty tempting. I do love his green hair. :)

So sorry you had such a stressful beginning of the month, Emily. Hope dear Kit is doing well now <3 I didn't grow up with Disney Channel (was a Nickelodeon kid), so most of their franchises went over my head (except for High School Musical, naturally). I don't feel any connection to their current movies and tv shows, though I have to say that the media surrounding MH and EAH, for example, never captured me all that much either. The dolls are where it's at for me. A while back, I actually thrifted a Descendants Audrey and though her hair is terrible, she looks really pretty up on my shelf, especially with Coronation Lonnie's dress on, which I later bought for her. The Zombies dolls all seem to have very hit-or-miss elements. The pixelation is definitely a shame (weird that Zed doesn't have it?) and I don't like how cheaply-made the clothes are. On the flip side, the body variety and articulation are great, and I like that Mattel didn't cheap out on the hair. I also wonder what doll customizers would do with all these unique face molds. Some of them are just so interesting and pretty! Overall, these dolls definitely seem better and more interesting than Mattel's classic Disney dolls, perhaps because the Disney Store wants to keep a tight reign on the classics (have you seen their new 'Story Dolls'?) In general, though, these are not for me. P.S. Willa's design reminds me so much of Clawdeen! I wish MH G3 went a bit of a darker route with her again, like Willa's doll. She's too cutesy and neon for me right now. P.P.S. I completely lost it at the phallic clam mascot LMAO

I love your blog and I hope everything calms down a but for you! I have to share that the school I work at mascot is the Cougar. Needless to say my teammate and I had quite the giggle over some of the school shirts. Like one that proudly stated “In My Cougar Era” and other shirts that have COUGAR blazoned over the chest…

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Prepare Your Kids for School After a Summer of Screen Time

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 33 Reviews
• Kids Say 77 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Teens challenge stereotypes in lively Disney musical.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Zombies is a Disney movie about a community where teens inspire positive change by resisting prejudice and finding common ground when their high school integrates humans and zombies. There's stereotyping on both sides of the divide for most of the story, as well as some mean…

Why Age 8+?

A few scenes show teens transforming into zombies. Their eyes darken, their vein

The budding romance between Addison and Zed yields some longing looks and a kiss

Any Positive Content?

Messages about tolerance and celebrating individuality are impossible to miss. T

A small group of open-minded teens manage to overcome prejudice encouraged by th

Strong social messages about accepting others' differences and not letting o

Violence & Scariness

A few scenes show teens transforming into zombies. Their eyes darken, their veins bulge, and, in one case, they stalk their human peers. There's mention of the fact that zombies eat human brains, but no actual violence.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The budding romance between Addison and Zed yields some longing looks and a kiss.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Messages about tolerance and celebrating individuality are impossible to miss. Teens learn to set aside their prejudices against each other (yes, it happens on both the human and the zombie side) and find common ground. There's little consequence for what seems the major legal infraction of tampering with technology that keeps zombies' impulses under control, but that's a small factor in the story. Positive messages are emphasized by the movie's songs.

Positive Role Models

A small group of open-minded teens manage to overcome prejudice encouraged by the adults -- and many peers -- in their lives. Addison chooses her friendship with Zed over the promise of popularity, and following her heart inspires others to see past differences as well. Some teens hold to their prejudice and even try to sabotage reconciliation between the two sides.

Educational Value

Strong social messages about accepting others' differences and not letting our own unique qualities have a negative effect on our self-esteem.

Parents need to know that Zombies is a Disney movie about a community where teens inspire positive change by resisting prejudice and finding common ground when their high school integrates humans and zombies. There's stereotyping on both sides of the divide for most of the story, as well as some mean-spirited exchanges between humans and zombies, often driven by adults. But the relationship that develops between a human girl ( Meg Donnelly ) and a zombie boy (Milo Manheim) has a big impact, inspiring their peers to set aside misconceptions and befriend each other. Parents will especially like the themes of self-esteem surrounding Addison's struggle to let her true self show, and kids will love the catchy soundtrack and dance scenes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (33)
• Kids say (77)

Based on 33 parent reviews

Think of all the little girls . . .

Another bad disney channel film, what's the story.

In ZOMBIES, Seabrook is the perfect town with perfect neighborhoods, perfect residents, and a perfect record in high school cheerleading competitions, but all that uniformity comes under threat when students from neighboring Zombietown integrate Seabrook High School. While most of the humans bristle at the idea of coexisting with zombies, Addison ( Meg Donnelly ) feels an immediate connection to Zed (Milo Manheim), an optimist who hopes this change will be the start of full equality for his fellow zombies. As Addison and Zed's relationship evolves, tensions run high in this town, and people must decide where their loyalties lie.

Is It Any Good?

The fact that there are few surprises in this movie doesn't overshadow its appealing messages about tolerance and embracing individuality. It's obvious within the first minutes of Zombies exactly where the story's headed, and if you've seen Descendants , you'll notice similar evolutions of character and plot as the tale of unlikely friendship and broader social healing unfolds.

Beyond the most obvious struggle for Zed and Addison's relationship to be accepted lies the matter of Addison's inner turmoil over her own secret. As Addison wrestles with subjecting herself to judgment in an effort to do what's right, she reminds viewers of the importance of self-acceptance and positive self-esteem. Once again Disney hits a home run with the song-and-dance segments that engage viewers and reemphasize the strong themes about resisting peer pressure and respecting differences.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about stereotypes in Zombies . Kids: In what ways does prejudice exist on both the zombie and the human side of this story? Does the media perpetuate stereotypes of certain groups? Are stereotypes always negative?

Kids: What accounts for Zed's unflappable optimism in this story? How do other people's opinions of us influence our self-esteem? Do you ever feel pressure to hide or change your true self? What other positive character traits do you see in the characters? How do they communicate with each other?

Is perfection an attainable goal? Who defines what's cool and what's not? Is being in the "in crowd" something that's important to you? Why or why not?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : April 24, 2018
• Cast : Meg Donnelly , Milo Manheim , Kylee Russell
• Director : Paul Hoen
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Disney Channel Original Movies
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Friendship , High School , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
• Run time : 94 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : July 12, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Lemonade Mouth

Best disney channel original movies, related topics.

• High School
• Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A game ranger and a team of poachers end up surrounded by zombie animals and they forge an alliance to stop the beasts before the super-zombie virus spreads to the entire world. A game ranger and a team of poachers end up surrounded by zombie animals and they forge an alliance to stop the beasts before the super-zombie virus spreads to the entire world. A game ranger and a team of poachers end up surrounded by zombie animals and they forge an alliance to stop the beasts before the super-zombie virus spreads to the entire world.

• Glenn Miller
• Scotty Mullen
• Erica Sturdefant
• Jonathon Buckley
• Jarrid Masse
• 16 User reviews
• 10 Critic reviews

Top cast 17

• Brooke Sullivan

• Ranger Mike
• (as Troy 'Taz' Castaneda)

• The Cheetah
• The Zuzumble

• Dr. Ellen Rogers
• (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia All entries contain spoilers
• Goofs When the hippo is stalking K.D., Toronto and Randy, it's eyes are normal. When it's attacking them, the hippo has the white zoombie eyes. In the shot where the hippo swims away from them, the eyes are normal again.

Jezel : It's a cocktail of my own creation. Paralyzes the animal from within.

• Crazy credits After the credits, you can first hear a lion roar. Then a picture of Titan, the lion is shown. The film is dedicated to his memory.
• Connections Follows Zoombies (2016)
• Soundtracks Blue Angel Written by Guy Thomas and Arlene Matza-Jackson

User reviews 16

• Oct 9, 2021
• How long is Zoombies 2? Powered by Alexa
• March 26, 2019 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Slightly Distorted Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $100,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 24 minutes
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

'We Are Zombies' Review: 'Turbo Kid' Creators Make Their Own 'Shaun of the Dead'

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Big Picture

• We Are Zombies struggles with weak world-building and characterization.
• The film doesn't leave a lasting impression compared to similar genre films.
• Despite committed performances, the lack of emotional depth and humor detracts from the film's impact.

Based on the comics series The Zombies That Ate the World by Jerry Frissen and illustrator Guy Davis , We Are Zombies is a new horror comedy from the team behind cult favorites Turbo Kid and Summer of '84 . Similar to the eclectic and evocative spirit of those previous films, François Simard , Anouk Whissell , and Yoann-Karl Whissell' s latest nostalgia-heavy genre hybrid is set in a future where humans and the undead cohabitate. There are many ideas crammed into an 80-minute runtime that never really gives any of them the time or focus to flourish. Though it has some laughs that land, effects that occasionally spring to life, and an admirably committed cast, We Are Zombies ultimately fails to leave much of an impression , paling in comparison to other films of its ilk, many of which it clearly emulates.

We Are Zombies (2024)

We Are Zombies follows three slackers in a post-zombie apocalypse where the undead are more of a nuisance than a threat. These non-cannibal zombies, exploited by a capitalist society, compel the trio to battle rednecks and a nefarious megacorporation to rescue their kidnapped grandmother

What Is 'We Are Zombies' About?

We Are Zombies is set in a futuristic American city where everyday people and zombies live in relative peace (relative to your standard zombie apocalypse fiction, at least). Zombies are often referred to as "Living Impaired" (the movie throws other not-so-subtle political metaphors at us among the limited exposition early on), and though they aren't much of a menace (they're not eating people) they're still very much a public nuisance, and "zombie-catching" is therefore quite the enterprise.

This is where our three would-be heroes step in: brother Karl ( Alexandre Nachi ) and sister Maggie ( Megan Peta Hill ), alongside their friend and fellow slacker Derek ( Freddy Mercks ) earn quick cash by impersonating workers for Coleman Retirement Services for the Living Impaired. It's a sketchy practice that's made sketchier by selling the undead bodies to weirdos like gallery owner Don ( Carlo Mestroni ), who likes engineering art with such remains. When Stanley ( Patrick Abellard ) a security operative at corporate-owned Coleman, discovers the trio's shenanigans, he takes the sibling pair's sweet grandmother ( Clare Coulter ) hostage, demanding a large ransom that the trio intends to pay by finding the remains of a dead actress per the request of Don.

'We Are Zombies' Is Like a More Uneven 'Zombieland'

Though there are certainly differences in the narratives, it’s impossible to watch We Are Zombies without thinking of Zombieland . They're very similar in tone and some visual cues, though without any of the careful, energetic, and shrewd world-building that made Ruben Fleischer 's 2009 breakout hit, and even its 2019 sequel , such breezy treats right out of the gate. We Are Zombies is an uneven enterprise altogether, but its biggest flaw is its lack of such groundwork. We're thrown into a futurescape that might be less jarring for fans of the comics; for the rest of us, there's very little to latch onto or to be immersed in.

To be very clear, the source material's origin dates back to 2004 (before Zombieland was even in development) and has received much acclaim. It's still worth mentioning this and other similar works of genre alchemy like the superior Shaun of the Dead , because as was the case with dystopian romance Turbo Kid and teen horror film Summer of '84 (both better and more fully realized films), We Are Zombies is an enterprise of wall-to-wall nostalgia and reference .

The Actors Give It Their All in 'We Are Zombies'

Beyond the limitations of the narrative and the setting, We Are Zombies is greatly hindered by weak characterization, primarily in the writing. The central trio of actors are giving this their all, but the script never really tells us anything more than Karl is obsessed with sex, Derek is haplessly in love with Maggie, and Maggie swears a lot. The film's aforementioned runtime obviously is something of a factor here, but it's worth noting the script reiterates these points over and over rather than giving us much depth with more varied scenes and interactions.

The blood-soaked finale that puts the zombie movie through a comedic lens should be a pretty thrilling and even joyous affair, but without an emotional hook, the mayhem of act three here doesn't raise the pulse or elicit any real laughs. The scrappy spirit, lo-fi, effects and pulsing electronic score of We Are Zombies call to mind 2015's Turbo Kid, but this latest film sorely lacks the heart and the emotional clarity that made its predecessor a critically acclaimed cult classic .

Though of course buckets of money don't hurt, effective world-building ultimately transcends budgets large and small. For proof, look no further than the film that started it all: George A. Romero 's 1968 zombie original Night of the Living Dead , which still holds up as one of the most disturbing of all horror films. Made on a budget of only around $100,000, that timeless thriller ratcheted both the sense of place and the tension up to 11 via ingenuity, gripping performances, and the power of understatement. Though that film was low on any kind of humor, notably void of the kind of farcical kind of humor We Are Zombies swings at, it was a biting, effective satire. We Are Zombies attempts to do a lot, but in the end, it doesn't pull off very much.

We Are Zombies wants to be like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, though lacks the cleverness to pull this off.

• The cast all give committed performances.
• The film lacks the heart and emotional clarity it needs to resonate.
• It pales in comparison to other zombie horror that has done all of this far better.
• The film attempts to do a lot as part of a long tradition of scrappy zombies films, but doesn't pull off very much.

We Are Zombies is now available to stream on VOD in the U.S.

WATCH ON VOD

• Movie Reviews