Saturday, October 12, 2019

Musicals On TV - Z.O.M.B.I.E.S

Disney, 2018
Starring Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Trevor Tordjman, and Kylee Russell
Directed by Paul Hoen
Music and Lyrics by various

This may be the strangest film Disney ever did, animated or live-action. Apparently based on the pilot for a Disney Channel sitcom, Zombies & Cheerleaders, that never made it to the air, this was a surprise hit for Disney last year. How does this manage to combine zombies and a "normal" cheerleading squad in a racism parable? Let's head to Seabrook High, a more unusual school than you might think, and find out....

The Story: Fifty years before, there had been a great apocalypse in Seabrook that turned half the population into brain-eating zombies. The other half forced the zombies behind a barrier, where they created their own culture and language. They now have watches that suppress their desire to eat brains and attack people, allowing three zombie teens - Zed (Manheim), Eliza (Russell), and Bonzo (James Godfrey) - to attend Seabrook High School. Zed falls for Allison (Donnelly), a seemingly perfect blonde girl who is obsessed with getting on the cheerleading squad. 

Allison has her own secret, one she's keeping from Bucky (Tordjman), the egotistical head of the squad. The squad - and the town - only accepts utterly perfect people who don't look different from anyone else. Allison, however, is starting to relate more to Zed and his friends, especially after Zed joins the football team and unleashes his zombie side to let them win games. When Zed takes her to Zombietown, she meets his little sister Zoey (Kingston Foster), who's  not a bad little cheerleader herself. Bucky, however, can't stand sharing the spotlight with someone who's different than him. Allison has begun to see the zombies in a different way...and when Bucky sabotages their homecoming game, she's the one who has to bring the two groups together and prove that zombies are as good as anyone else.

The Song and Dance: Like I said at the top, this may be the weirdest thing Disney ever did, in live-action or animation. On the surface, it has a lot of things in common with High School Musical and Descendants - new kids are made fun and pigeonholed by peers, Romeo and Juliet romance, big chorus numbers - but the horror theme and the racism angle definitely add something unique. Donnelly in particular isn't bad as the conflicted Allison, and Foster's adorable as little Zoey. I also like the emphasis on there being many different ways of inciting change, and that physical fighting or deviousness aren't always the way to lead a revolution. 

Favorite Number: Once again, it's the chorus songs that stand out. The opening "My Year" introduces us to all the principals, including Allison and Zed's very different worlds. "Fired Up" is initially the big number for the new cheerleaders as they try to pass Bucky's impossible standards. It comes up again as the big finale where all the kids, zombie and "normal," dance together. There's also a great dance routine for the kids in Zombietown to celebrate their differences, "BAMM!"

What I Don't Like: I wish they could have been slightly more subtle about the racism parallels. The "everyone is different" theme is driven home with all the force of a zombie going after ten tons of brains. Most of the kids are annoying and obvious, and the songs just aren't that memorable. Not to mention, the kids don't really look much like "zombies." They look like cute teenagers in bad Jolly Green Giant makeup.

The Big Finale: Well, it's not really bad so much as it is...odd. If you desperately need a mildly horror-themed variation on High School Musical or are looking for a horror musical for young teens, this is worth at least a rental or catching on The Disney Channel or Disney Plus.

Home Media: Surprisingly, despite the film's popularity, this is currently only on DVD and streaming. 

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