Richard Crouse

SYNOPSIS: In “Night of the Zoopocalypse,” a new animated adventure now playing in theatres, a space virus turns the animals at Colepepper Zoo into gummi-bear looking zombies. As an animal apocalypse develops, a timber wolf and a mountain lion search for a cure and a way to stop Bunny Zero, leader of the mutants.

CAST: Gabbi Kosmidis, Scott Thompson, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and David Harbour. Directed by Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis.

REVIEW: The name Clive Barker is synonymous with horror. The Bram Stoker Award winning writer and director’s oeuvre, like “Hellraiser,” the “Books of Blood” and “Nightbreed,” is the stuff of nightmares, but the latest film adaptation of his work is very definitely aimed at a family audience.

Based on an “original concept” by the horror legend, “Night of the Zoopocalypse” is a colourful zombie adventure that is more “Hotel Transylvania” than “The Walking Dead.”

The action begins when a small asteroid crash lands in the zoo’s rabbit house. When a cute and curious bunny takes a nibble of the extra-terrestrial treat, they’re turned into a mutant with a bad attitude and otherworldly, smooth skin.

As the alien virus takes over the zoo, Gracie (Gabbi Kosmidis), a young quirky timber wolf and gruff mountain lion Dan (David Harbour), lead a crew of animals to safety and, hopefully, a cure.

Like “The Blob” for kids (recommended age: 8 and up) or “Madagascar” with zombies, “Night of the Zoopocalypse” is a monster movie in love with monster movies. There’s even a film buff character, a self-aware red ruffed lemur named Xavier (Pierre Simpson), who comments on the action. “Act three is the best,” he says. “Everything comes to a head.” It’s a cute gimmick that harkens back to b-horror movies and adds to the retro genre feel.

Also appealing is the character design. The mutant characters are easy to spot. Brightly coloured with the strange gummi like appearance, they are hideous and hilarious and wouldn’t have been too out of place in a Roger Corman b-movie.

Alongside Gracie and Dan, the hero animals—a capybara, monkey, and ostrich—are exaggerated versions of real animals that are more in line with traditional kid’s CGI 3D animation.

Kids may not get the thing that makes “Night of the Zoopocalypse” so much fun. They’ll enjoy the characters, the antics and the themes regarding teamwork and acceptance, but the movie’s real selling point, for me anyway, is the way it pays homage to low-budget horror films. From the premise to the look of the film, directors Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis conjure up a horror epic for film fans, young and old.