Zoey 102

Zoey 102 is a bonus movie of the teen tv series Zoey 101 that had aired more than a decade ago (close to two actually).

If you haven't watched the series, you probably won't get some of the jokes, which does take some of the fun out, as the rest of the movie is boring and makes no sense.

The story is messy and handles too many subjests, and leaves them all underdeveloped and half baked. Not to mention that most of the characters had no storyline, only a character cell.

Finally, the plot is cheesy and it does feel like it was written in the early 2000's. And what was the deal with all that sci fi advanced technology gadgets that they added?

This movie is a complete waste of time to watch. I hated this movie so much that I had to write this review. I have seen many comedies that were focused on a wedding going wrong. This is the worst I've seen. I didn't laugh once during it. It makes me feel depressed that people would want to live in a world that was anything like the lifestyles of those in this movie. The only reason this film exists is, most likely, to try and make Jamie Spears relevant. Probably as a gift from her sister to try and make her something she is not. I would prefer never to see Jamie Spears in any movie or show in the future.

Most of the characters we know and love return in this very odd, difficult to characterize film.

Is it a drama, a wedding reunion, a roadtrip comedy, a murder mystery? -My head is still reeling trying to make sense of it all. It seems like the writing room took everyone's ideas and ran with them all at once without giving it much thought.

As a millennial who really enjoyed the escapist nature of the original series, the last thing I wanted to see was the characters I love struggling to find their footing in the adult world.

I would have preferred to see evolved characters with remnants of their high school quirks act in adult functions related to the PCA campus-whether it be teachers, administrators, board of directors, donors, or parents.

Nickelodeon was my jam growing up. While Drake and Josh was my favorite live action sitcom on Nick, Zoey 101 was also funky and humorous for teenagers. I can appreciate some of the call-backs they did from the original series (Chase crashing into a pole or the characters' showcasing some of the tech devices).

Years later this didn't have the same warm and fuzzy vibe; I maybe laughed at one or two of the jokes. I honestly don't feel that Jamie Lynn Spears can act. On that basis, I felt that Quinn and Logan's actors dominated the action and had a believable conflict to resolve. Any of the scenes of Zoey at work were over the top.

I was glad that I stuck this one through, I liked the last 20 minutes because it was simplistic and somewhat heartfelt. But in terms of humor, character development, and script, I couldn't care less.

3.8/10

This was not a nostalgia movie we needed. I didn't know it existed until I found it scrolling through Paramount+, and I much rather have liked not knowing it existed. While I can't remember "Zoey 101" completely, it was one of the shows I grew up on as the actors and actresses were, and are my age, but despite a few jokes from the show I feel I got nothing out of the movie. It doesn't need to exist. It shouldn't exist.

There were very small pieces of humour that were funny, but really it feels stale. The acting was rigid. The story was mediocre. The spark of "Zoey 101" doesn't exist. The characters are somewhat relatable, but you can really find that in any other show or movie. Lastly, the pacing is slow. There came a point where I had given up on the movie, but I had to see it through knowing there was no recovery.

The big takeaway is that if you want your childhood memories of this show to stay in tact then don't bother watching this film. In the end I was left with the feeling of "that's it?" I wasn't even happy to see the reunion in the end. I wished for better.

That's all for now. Thank you for reading my review, and until next time.... Enjoy the show!