Spoiler Alert
The Night of the Zoopocalypse is ready to hit theatres! And all I can say is that the action is as gonzo as the first Jurassic Park movie and the team up which must happen must be as solid as that team from the Ice Age movies. That’s most likely because the directors Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro have an IMDB credit of having worked on that franchise prior.
As the name of the film implies, all hell breaks loose when a meteorite crash lands inside the confines of Colepepper Zoo! After one critter finds it and gets turned into a mutant like zombie, things get hopping madcap! When this film is hard to review without giving away some spoilers, a second warning is required if you don’t want to know too much.
Here, Gracie (Gabbi Kosmidis) is a wolf who sort of knows what’s going on. But as how she can survive means learning how to be a leader of the pack herself. There’s a great message hidden between the lines, and when she eventually teams up with a few other creatures, namely a mountain lion named Dan (David Harbour), that’s when the story gets good. This pair figures out what’s going on. Also, I find this mighty beast very similar to Diego (Ice Age) and performance wise, it’s perhaps one of this actor’s best voice over work.
Other creatures they find include Poot (Christina Nova), a cute pygmy hippo; Ash (Scott Thompson), the sarcastic ostrich; Felix (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), a self-absorbed monkey, Xavier (Pierre Simpson), an excitable lemur, and Frida (Heather Loreto), a cautious capybara. The standout is with Xavier because he’s quite theatrical, and who doesn’t love a meta-movie going primate? And when they have to work together to either escape or save their fellow brethren, the choice is simple.
The events go by fast. And while I’m keeping an eye for possible Easter eggs, I’m sure what’s laid out is not only a tribute to the B-movies of yesteryears, but also acknowledge the works of Clive Barker. Despite his fame for body horror, the producers likely included elements for older audiences to recognize. Although he did not write this story, his pitch was fleshed out by Steven Hoban and James Kee. As for who approved all the funky creature designs, I suspect the directors brought the best ones they liked to the executive producer for final approval.
Some hybrids are kind of cute, like in what one could find from The Croods, and others not so much. Also, I saw moments which reminded me of DreamWorks Monsters vs Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. Both were hilarious and fun run-ins with alien zombies. While one grew from a crop from radioactive waste disposal the other concerns a rock with similar properties which zoo animals mistook for food! Both eventually need to be chased down, and no, there are no Penguins from (not of) Madagascar to help!
In order for this film to appeal to children, this film nicely avoids being too scary. Glowing eyes, rather than violent images, imply much of the threat. And when I recognised the homage to Clive Barker’s short story “In the Hills, the Cities,” from The Books of Blood, there are bits for even long time fans of this author to enjoy! As a result, I can repeatedly watch this film, looking for those Easter eggs!
Ultimately, Poots steals the show. The laughs are big when this little pygmy hippo is blissfully unaware of how dangerous things have gotten. She’s that “Are we there yet?” personality and the most adorable. I wanted to cheer for her at every turn, and hope she survives the night with her sanity intact! And while I know the outcome, others won’t. It’s a great thrill ride for those looking for just the right amount of silliness, and this one delivers in droves!
5 Stars out of 5
The Night of the Zoopocalypse Movie Trailer
