Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires follows a formula. If you’re watching a movie titled Zombies 4, that should come as no surprise to you. There have been three other Zombie movies, and if we have to bet, we’ll bet there’s going to be a fifth one. Especially after that ending! But yeah, Zombies 4 is very much what you’d expect out of a movie within a franchise called Zombies that isn’t actually a scary movie, but a Disney Channel movie.
That’s to say, it’s actually very fun, if not too deep.
Zombies 4 expands the franchise, introducing two new types of monsters: daywalkers, beings powered by fire who exist in perpetual daylight, and vampires, creatures forced to live in the shadows who harness wind.
As if that weren’t enough, the movie ends with a tease for a possible Zombies 5… and a new kind of creature? Monster? Who knows.
Either way, what happens before that is a combination of silly, heartwarming, and the kind of fun we’ve come to expect from Disney Channel movies. Sometimes things feel like they’re solved too fast, but everyone is very committed to the bit and the time you spend watching this movie will never feel like time wasted. In fact, we can imagine binge watching the entire Zombie franchise one weekend if we need comfort.
I don’t even mean comfort in a “turn off my brain and put something in the background” kinda way. No, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is actually entertaining, engaging and light.
We need more of that these days. It’s also the type of movie that sets up not just a Zombies 5, but a continuation of the franchise beyond Zed, Addison and the characters that have taken the franchise here.
But that doesn’t mean the end is here for these characters. In Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, there are still lessons to be learned for the people we’ve followed all this time, as there are lessons to be learned for both vampires and daywalkers. And, like any good Disney Channel movie, perhaps those lessons apply to us as well. Maybe there’s something to be extrapolated there, if we look hard enough.
Overall, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is the perfect movie to watch with the teenager in your life.
It’s also a great, light watch for fans of the franchise, or even someone who just wants to try something that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but that still delivers a good message, engaging characters, and a good dose of camp without it being too over the top.
Basically, we’ll probably be rewatching.
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is available to stream on Disney+.
