Nuke the elephant and Winky the giraffe are on a mission to protect the galaxy. With trouble lurking around every corner, there’s no telling what mishaps they’ll find in the Zooverse.
Grimm Slice the shark and his sidekick Space Slime the snail are intent on punishing those who fish for sharks. Boo Boo Squeal the mouse and Chubby the hippo have kidnapped Nuke’s sister, Princess Sparkle Feather, and plan to force everyone in the Zooverse to love cheese just as much as they do. It’s up to Nuke and Winky to save Princess Sparkle Feather and stop the bad guys.
The Zooverse is a film that has a lot going on. With two main protagonists, four main antagonists and a plethora of side characters—both good and bad—viewers must pay attention in order to understand the plot of the story. To make things more confusing, the bad guys operate on different ships towards different evil goals. The characters communicate via video chat in their respective spaceships.
The main evil leaders, Boo Boo Squeal and Grimm Slice, are not very kind to anyone. Their communication with all of the other characters is riddled with insults and name-calling. This film does not promote respecting others and it does not show any consequences for wrongdoings. When Boo Boo Squeal decides to return Princess Sparkle Feather, he tells Nuke that he would like to be friends with him and continue on his mission in a less forceful way. Nuke agrees, and while this is a good transition from evil to good, it doesn’t really enforce the laws that Nuke is supposed to uphold. Boo Boo Squeal, who was wanted on many different planets and was supposedly a famous villain, is forgiven and befriended by the one who is supposed to enforce the laws.
The film as a whole has a very negative connotation. The bad guys seem to overpower the good guys. The animation is adequate, but the characters’ mouths do not line up with the audio. There was a short period of time when characters’ mouths were moving while no one was speaking at all. The Zooverse tends to use elevated vocabulary that is rarely explained.
Overall, The Zooverse is a comedic animated show that can be entertaining for older kids. It’s plot, while very busy, is clever. It is important, however, for parents to evaluate the level of negativity in the film before recommending it to their child.
The Dove Take:
The Zooverse is a funny, clever animated film but viewers must be aware of the extensive level of negative interactions between characters.
