LITTLE MONSTERS

Australia, 2019, 93 minutes, Colour.
Lupita Nyong'o Alexander England, Josh Gad, Kat Stewart, Diesel La Torraca, Nadia Townsend, Marshall Napier.
Directed by Abe Forsythe.

Australian writer-director, Abe Forsythe, once made a parody of Ned Kelly, called Ned. Here he tries his hand at an Australian zombie film. It is a blend of the serious and the comic.

The main focus of the story is a group of young children and their teacher. The teacher, Miss Caroline, is played by American actress Lupita Nyong’o who won an Oscar for her performance as the slave in 12 Years a Slave, featured in the Star Wars series, in Black Panther and in Jordan Peele’s horror/comedy, Us.

The leading man is Alexander England, Dave, a lumbering scruffy type who will have to be redeemed, but looking like a cousin of Chris Hemsworth.

Audiences may be put off at the beginning by the focus on Dave and his rather raucous clash with his girlfriend and then discovering her having an affair. Crushed, Dave takes refuge with his sister and bonds with her young nephew. He takes him to school where he meets Miss Caroline.

Some presume him to be a teacher so he accompanies Miss Caroline to the theme park where they are to have a day’s excursion. Part of the attraction is that an American comedian who has a television program devoted to children (which they watch with rapt attention, imitating his movements, completely loyal) will be an attraction. He is played by American Josh Gad but turns out to be a completely obnoxious, foulmouthed, lecherous would-be celebrity.

In the meantime, at an Army installation, experimenting with the dead, a number of zombies escape, menace everyone in the theme park and transform them, except that Miss Caroline and Dave with the children, as well as the celebrity, in the park shop.

Most of the action of the film has the zombies outside, continually menacing. But, the inventiveness of Miss Caroline and her singing, care for the children, Dave helping, that they survive, assuming that it is all part of the excursion and the game. Miss Caroline ventures out and confronts the zombies to retrieve from the store the nephew’s Darth Vader suit which he can put on to distract the zombies so that Dave and the celebrity can escape.

Of course, the celebrity is obnoxious, refuses Dave’s entry into his vehicle – but is summarily and gorily dispatched. And, of course, Miss Caroline and Dave escape with the children, though almost blasted with the weapons of the Army, the children restored to their mothers – and, Dave transformed, may have a future with Miss Caroline.

This is an undemanding zombie film which disappointed the fans of the gory but pleased those who like zombies presented with a lighter touch!

1. An Australian zombie film? Comic? The touch of the raucous? The touch of sentiment?

2. The setting, families, school, the excursion, the park, the Army installation? The musical score? The songs, especially from the children?

3. The conventions of zombie films? The Army installation and the experiments? The loss of control? Deaths at the installation? The spreading the infection? Slow motion zombies, distracted by sound, pursuing humans, listening to songs? The comic touches? The gory touches?

4. The introduction of Dave, an inauspicious beginnings of the film, his arguments with his girlfriend, her relationship, his emotional collapse? Relying on his sister? His nephew? Emotional mess? Taking Felix to school? The encounter with Miss Caroline? The attraction?

5. Felix, genial, picked on at school, computer games, love for his mother, admiring Dave, the games, going to school, the Darth Vader suit and the comic touches?

6. Miss Caroline, with the kindergarten children, her personality, songs, pleasant with Dave? Going on the excursion?

7. The bus, David and his music background, the terrible song and the kids’ reaction? Getting to the site? Settling in? The plans for the day?

8. The introduction to the zombies, their being let loose, the Chinese family, the other schoolchildren?

9. The presence of Teddy Mc Giggle, on the television, friendly, the children’s response, the movements? His presence of the theme park, talking to the children? Their eager response? His vanity and style? The zombies, his taking refuge in the shop, blocking everybody out? The revelation of his true character, his foul language, his sexual behaviour with parents? Dave subduing him? His singing the songs? Dave helping him out, on the roof, in the vehicle, shutting Dave out? Boasting that he was a celebrity? The zombies killing him?

10. The children, accepting everything as a game, participating, relying on Miss Caroline? Dave and his support?

11. Miss Caroline, the friendship with Dave, the sensitivity with the children, the songs, protecting them, getting out, avoiding the zombies, getting the Darth Vader suit?

12. Felix, the Darth Vader suit, distracting the zombies? Dave, on the roof, to the vehicle, the threats?

13. The concerned mothers, at the Army installation, the officer in charge, gung ho, the military, planning to bomb the shop, to shoot the children on the bus? His change of heart?
Reassuring the mothers?

14. The organising of the escape, in the bus, the singing?

15. The blend of the comic, the raucous, the sentimental?