Aquarium of the Dead, Zombie Starfish

Back in the early 1970s the great ocean idiot Jacques Cousteau ranted that in ten years all the worlds oceans would be reduced to black goo. Today, no one even brings up Cousteau's name as the early 1980s came and went and no black goo.  Go figure. The more pertinent warning comes to us from our buddies at The Asylum in this 2021 film sure to warm the heart of all you zombie apocalypse fans..."Aquarium of the Dead," directed by Glenn Miller (no...not that one). Fans of "Zoombies," "Zoombies 2," and "Zombeavers" will want to pay special attention to this one.

A California aquarium is now in lockdown.  A medicine for the fish has been used that causes them to die and become zombies! Yes...crabs, dolphins, octopus, starfish, otters, a walrus, a crocodile, and Mako sharks. As the octopus begins the feeding frenzy, killing two marine biologists, babe marine biologist Karen (Madeleine Falk) runs in and announces something is going on. Yep...the dead are coming back to life. The octopus follows her in and appears to be the ringleader. Meanwhile, Daniel (D.C. Douglas) is a tour guide, a gruff one, and is showing Skyler (Brandon Lee Ward) around, will find themselves fighting off zombie crabs, the croc, and eventually the octopus.

In another part of the aquarium the sultry Miranda (Eva Ceja) is touring a senator (Anthony Jensen) and his babe aide Beth (Erica Duke) around. The aquarium needs your tax dollars and Miranda is trying to get them. Quickly a barrage of zombie starfish attack. Mako sharks and a walrus will also play havoc on this little tour group. In the control room is Clu (Viveca A. Fox) who is trying to get the electronics back on line so she can open all the emergency exit doors. The octopus slimes the entire control room and seems to have it in for Clu. There is another problem.  The aquarium scientists cannot allow the specimens to find their way into the ocean or...well, you can guess.

Gritty reality and a morality tale for our day, this is a sensational movie and one may say the magnum opus for Eva Ceja.  Or, one may not say that.  Will the octopus and starfish ever turn on the walrus and the croc?  Will the senator use the occasion to sexually harass Miranda or Karen?  What is going on at a nearby zoo (this film takes place in San Diego)?  For a great effort by The Asylum, take a look at "Aquarium of the Dead" and wonder if it is a metaphor for our once great aquariums who have now eliminated the orca shows.