Night of the Zoopocalypse

Night of the Zoopocalypse is an extremely entertaining and cute sci-fi movie with amazing build-up. It has an interesting story and likeable characters, which allows the viewer to become invested in the situation.

The story takes place in a zoo, where Gracie, a wolf (Gabbi Kosmidis) and Dan, a mountain lion (David Harbour) are forced to team up when a meteor turns animals into zombies. They, and the other survivors of the zombie virus, attempt to stop the virus from spreading any further, and save those infected.

The animation in this film is incredible; everything looks so lively and each animal moves exactly like their real-life counterparts. I especially love the way Xiavier, the red ruffed lemur, moves - all his movements are not only extremely smooth but also true to the real animal. I love the visuals throughout this movie and the character designs; the details for small things in the background that represent the zoo are outstanding. However, I am not the biggest fan of Dan's design as it is difficult to tell what animal he is supposed to represent. I also really like following the main character, Gracie. She's such a fun character to watch and Gabbi Kosmidis really brings the character to life through her voice acting. The script is so well done; I love that there's so much thought behind how the zombies work and what they are able of doing. The characters are particularly well scripted; the main characters feel real thanks to their believable actions and the secondary characters are quite funny. The pace of the storyline works well, with the audience discovering information as fast as the characters do. There are a few scenes that feel a little too long, but still, the film is extremely funny and enjoyable to watch. Even though it's geared towards a younger audience, I found myself laughing out loud at times.

The film's message is to be loyal to those that you love and appreciate those around you despite their differences. Be forewarned that there are intense scenes and action sequences, including fake limbs coming off.

I give Night of the Zoopocalype 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. It releases in theaters March 7, 2025. By Isabella V., KIDS FIRST!

Review for anyone trying to find a movie for their kids to watch: Night of the Zoopocalypse is an entertaining and funny animated movie with good lessons on loyalty and not being afraid of people who are different. And the horror elements make it feel unique. We don't normally see that subgenre in kids movies.

Score: 8 stars

Review for adults hoping to enjoy a movie for which they aren't the demographic: this movie is both harmless and forgettable. It feels like a weaker version of many other animated movies. Half the comedy works. I doubt many adults will hate or love it.

Score: 5 stars

(1 viewing, 4/19/2025)

Night of the Zoopocalypse is probably a perfect example of parodying the horror genre while also paying tribute to it as well. I loved how it used classic horror movie tropes, subverting them for kids, and balancing it with plenty of humor, heart and creativity. I also like its message of unity and faith, and how to cooperate with others. The filmmakers did an amazing job putting in a lot of passion and faith in this film, and it's shown in the final product. With a slight lack of good original ideas in the film industry, especially in Hollywood, it's really amazing to see an original story become popular. In conclusion, Night of the Zoopocalypse is a miraculously fun horror-comedy, and I highly recommend checking it out.

I took my two Littles (7 and 9) to see Zoopocalypse on Monday. The characters were all very cute and my kids loved the interactions between all the animals (especially Poot, the Pygmy hippo).

The music is nice and atmospheric and the Gumbies (gummy zombies that some animals turn into) were still menacing enough for my children without ever crossing over into genuine scary zombie movie material.

The lesson of working together in order to succeed vs being selfish and caring only about what happens to ourselves is much needed today.

Hard to believe this came from the same mind that brought us the horrors of Hellraiser and Nightbreed!

Great for a "not so scary" family movie night.

We really liked this one, hads lots of fun watching it! The zomby animals are very creative and funny, frogs zombies were my favorite. The colors of the movie looked very Halloween-ish, loved it!

We were two adults watching so not sure how scary the story might be for kids.

Pros:

• great visuals and very creative monsters design
• i really liked the animation style, animals looks very plyshy and soft
• loved the idea of zombie animals at the zoo

Cons:

• story writing feels a bit chompy at times and the ending felt little rushed

Enjoyed it in general, will try to introduce it to my niece once it hits streaming.