Zombies 3 Review

Zombies 3 is a musical, comedy, and sci-fi with some minor horror as it’s a Disney Channel movie. This time around we see Zed the zombie, played by Milo Manheim, trying to get into the same college as his girlfriend Addison played by Meg Donnelly. The humans have finally started to accept zombies and werewolves and are now treated as almost equals in the town of Seabrook. This all changes when aliens invade Seabrook. They have come to Seabrook to compete in the cheerleading competition. The town of Seabrook allows them to stay but grows suspicious of the aliens when they find out, they could be here for something more dangerous.

Being a fan of this franchise for a while, I was excited to watch this one and was not disappointed. Zombies 3 had the familiar feel of the previous zombie movies and kept numerous traditions from the previous films, even if done differently. The opening scene has familiar instrumental music like the previous films. This movie was extremely enjoyable to watch, the characters have grown and matured from the previous films. I was worried not all the characters from the previous films would be in this one, But they managed to include everyone, including the coach and parents. Eliza played by Kylee Russell is in the movie lots but never fully there. I’m uncertain if this was always planned or due to personal reasons, but I’m glad they still found a way to include Eliza lots throughout the film. This film is much more about Zed and Addison and the aliens. It focuses less on the supporting characters than the previous ones did, but they are all in scenes even if some cast don’t say as much.

We still get the characters talking to the audience and camera like in the previous films, they did this a lot more on this one, as the second one was not very frequent. This made the experience of the movie feel like we were going on a journey, and we were with the characters a lot more than in the previous film. One scene was very funny in this style, and Zed winked at the camera and audience. Fans may be pleased to know Shrimpy has a slightly bigger role in this movie.

All the cast are extremely talented in this movie. There are too many to name, but all give extremely strong performances, including the side characters. Bucky played by Trevor Tordjman in the previous movies has always been the sort of villain. This time around, Bucky has started to accept the zombies and werewolves. He may still be a show-off and not the happiest about them, but he is still supportive, even if less enthusiastic or energetic. This is rather funny in some scenes where everyone claps for Zed and Buckys clapping for him, but a lot less energetic. When the aliens arrive, he is not as mean to them as he was to zombies in previous films. I think his character is also surprised that everyone likes him. Zombies films have always been about accepting and loving others even if they are different, and in the past have handled themes of racism with the poor treatment of zombies. What I enjoyed about this film is that there is one alien character named A-spen, played by Terry Hu. A- Spen is a nonbinary alien and bisexual. A-Spen falls in love and has a crush on a boy and a girl in this movie. Terry is also queer, non-binary, so was nice seeing how they incorporated this into the character.

The chemistry and connection between Milo and Meg have always been fantastic, and this film was no different. The way they bounce off each other’s energy has always made Zed and Addison feel like a believable couple. The spark between these characters and how Zed and Addison interact even from just facial expressions is one of the reasons why so many fans love this franchise. Meg and Milo are extremely gifted and fabulous actors. In previous zombies films, we have seen Zed and Addison argue about things. In this movie, there is an emotional scene, but I found it sadder due to there being no argument. You can see how much they love and care for each other but also understand their different sides. This made it more effective in my opinion. One of the messages and morals in this movie is about how some conflicts and arguments are healthy to have and make people stronger. This, I think, is a significant message. Even if it feels like lots of bad stuff is happening, good can also come out of it.

Numerous songs in this film give off futuristic and techno sounds and vibes. This fits perfectly with the story. Some songs are a little more serious and a bit less pop style. One thing I liked is one of the songs that fans may be familiar with had a futuristic style to it this time. All the dancers are wonderful! The choreography is great in this, and everyone is very synchronized. The opening song alien invasion had an extremely high budget, and it was a really exciting way to introduce the aliens. The ending scene of the final song felt like all the cast broke character slightly, this, I thought, was an excellent idea and fun. You got to see how much the cast all care and have nothing but love for each other and are like a big family. The cast said that they all had a group chat even for the new cast they hadn’t met yet, and will always stay a family.

I did find this film less funny than the previous films but still found myself laughing a lot. One of the reasons could be that all the characters are more grown-up now so are a bit less silly. I would have also liked to have seen maybe a few more fight scenes, there is one point where a fight may have happened, but it didn’t. This I thought they could have done a small fight even if lasted a few seconds, like in an alien invasion. Zombies 3 felt like sometimes the side characters were a bit rushed or skipped past, I believe this film would have benefitted more if we had spent a bit longer with the side characters. Hopefully, Disney may release some deleted scenes. If they had spent longer with certain characters, I think this film would be improved.

You don’t need to watch the previous films to understand this movie, but you will get so much more enjoyment and appreciate all the references by seeing the previous films first. This film is great for everyone, I would say adults may also enjoy it as well as kids. There are a bit more often zombie scary faces in this movie, but with lots less threat, as even when characters zombie out, they have learned to have a small amount of control, compared to the previous films. I loved this movie, I had a really fun time. You can get lost in the world of Seabrook. I really hope we get the 4th one. If you are looking for a film that is easygoing and is a sci-fi comedy musical romance, with zombies and werewolves also, for people who may want to find something a little spooky but not too scary. Then this film is for you.

Zombies 3 streams on Disney Plus on July 15 and is EXCEPTIONALLY ZOMBTASTIC!