ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES

Name: ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES
Item: ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES
Author: Review

"We’re All Legends in the Making"

Family Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

Disney+’s ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES is the much-anticipated addition to the highly rated vampire musical series about teen monsters. After their first year of college, the group stumbles on to the warring worlds of Daywalkers and Vampires while detoured from their summer road trip. Finding themselves as camp counselors, the teens are caught in an epic battle for control of the blood-fruit orchards, the food source for both. The monster teens believes that they are living proof that differences can be overcome and hope can be restored for lasting peace. Will they be able to open the locked gate to the orchards and help the Daywalkers and the Vampires to work together without destroying each other first?

With a very strong moral worldview, this film has catchy songs, unique characters, and moral lessons of breaking negative generational patterns, teamwork above differences, and the importance of family and friends. There are some violent fight scenes with hand-to-hand combat, magical powers, reckless stunts, and some scary imagery, such as zombies and fangs. This film is age appropriate for teens. Caution advised for older children, including young teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Content:

(BBB, Ab, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Very strong moral worldview that rather skillfully avoids politics to tell a story of two rival groups learning to overcome their differences and break bad generational patterns. While avoiding political leanings, the messaging does encourage open-mindedness towards others and hope for the future. Another key theme is to keep true to oneself, especially in the case of Nova who defies her father’s demand that she do things his way and do harmful things to others. Instead she does what she knows is right. In this idealistic world, the plot does boil down a rather complex problem of generational misunderstanding and hate into a clear, neatly-solved and lasting solution that’s appropriate for its intended age group. As the characters are all monsters with supernatural powers, we do see use of magic which is anti-biblical in nature.

Foul Language:

No foul or offensive language;

Violence:

Some violence in various fight scenes, usually hand-to-hand combat but no one is hurt in the film. In one scene, a car flips down a hill, but characters are unharmed. In another scene, a vampire flies and almost crashes into people;

Sex:

No sex or physical affection shown beyond a hug;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drug use; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Overall, the characters are straight in their morals, except the prejudices of the older generations who encourage the younger characters to lie and steal. However, none of those happen in the movie.

More Detail:

Disney+’s ZOMBIES 4: DAWN OF THE VAMPIRES is the much anticipated addition to the highly rated vampire musical series about teen monsters who stumble on the warring worlds of Daywalkers and Vampires while detoured from their summer road trip. With a very strong moral worldview, the protagonists find themselves caught in an epic battle between the Daywalkers and the Vampires for control of blood-fruit orchards, the food source for both towns.

To start the film, we are reintroduced to the world of Seabrook: a magical world where a mysterious galactic moonstone that mysteriously gave their world zombies, werewolves, and aliens. Narrating over an animation, they discuss a legend about another moonstone that crashed on Mount Rayburn creating two new monsters in two separate worlds: Daywalkers and Vampires. The moonstone also created blood fruit that both need to survive, which they began to fight over. This caused both sides to lock themselves away from each other, making them sworn enemies forever – until now.

We meet our main characters at the end of their first year of Mountain College: Zed, a zombie/not-so-great football player; Addison, an alien/not-so-great cheerleader; Eliza, a zombie/genius computer whiz; and Willa, an alpha werewolf. They all have enjoyed their time at college, but Zed and Addison want to do better at football and cheerleading, so they are planning on attending summer intensives to up their game before the next school year. They all hope to make their mark during their time in college and be the best. All four friends are going on a summer road trip in Zed’s beat-up VW Bug before their respective camps begin. It should be noted that the zombies have Z-bands to control their zombie impulses which can be turned off and on again.

The movie cuts to a group of Daywalkers practicing fighting on a beach with their powers: shooting fireballs. Their junior leader, Nova, tells them that they need to be prepared as their blood fruit is dying and they’ll need more to survive. Nova has visions of a boy, but she doesn’t know who he is. Her father, Commander, warns her that if their orchards are dying, then the vampires’ orchard may be too, and they may come after theirs. They need to keep their people safe, and, as she is the Daywalker’s next leader, he puts a lot of pressure on her to lead his way.

The Vampires are also going hungry and are packing to leave Shadyside due to hunger. We meet Victor, a clumsy vampire who flies through the group and almost hits some before crash landing. He is the next leader after the Vampire Eldress, who admonishes him for not being worthy of leadership. Victor expresses his desire to see the world and leave the town despite his love for it, and his friends are terrified as they don’t want to leave. The Vampire Eldrich announces it is time for the harvest, and the vampires cheer.

Meanwhile, the monsters in Zed’s car are driving through the woods when a pulse of energy hits the car and turns off Zed’s z-band. He “zombie’s out” and loses control of the car. The car crashes and flips down a hill. They decide they’ll have to split up to find help. Zed stumbles onto the Daywalkers and Addison on the Vampires. They are recruited to help, and both groups show up at the main orchard, a realm where the sun doesn’t hurt the vampires. In fear and anger, they almost start fighting, but decide it’s a race to get to the fruit first. However they find the gate magically locked with three keys required. The monster teens convinces them to work together to get through the gate and split the fruit, using groups of their young leaders and stay at an abandoned camp nearby (as listed on a sign).

Before leaving, Nova’s dad tells her to get in and steal all the fruit for the Daywalkers, even if it means destroying the vampires, although she is clearly against it—she reluctantly agrees. When they arrive at the camp, the two groups immediately begin fighting over their differences, and despite the monsters’ attempts at mediating the group, it seems hopeless. But Zed and Addison’s group is living proof that people can live together despite their differences.

Victor and Nova immediately recognize each other from their respective visions. It is clear that the two groups must work together, open the gates, and get the fruit. The monsters have worked through adversity before, but can they help these enemies work together through generations of rivalry and heart break?

As a musical, there are many catchy musical numbers that are well choreographed. The graphics are a bit cheesy, but otherwise the plot and songs are engaging. However, the acting can be a bit flat. The characters are unique and relatable, with their supernatural abilities uniquely used, such as Zed the zombie using his zombie strength to lift heavy things. With a strong moral worldview, often touching on themes of teamwork, love, friendship, loyalty, and doing the right thing above all while breaking bad generational habits and assumption, this film will certainly appeal to a tween/teen audience. The monsters are carefully written to avoid any of the gore or horror themes typically associated with their monster type (ie. zombies not trying to eat anyone). There are many fighting scenes that utilize magic, reckless car driving resulting in a flipped car crash, use of magical powers, and magical visions. Caution advised for older children, including young teenagers, and sensitive adults due to some fighting violence and scary imagery such as zombies and fangs.