Disney's 'Zenon' Movies In Order (And Where To Watch Them)
The 21st century looks a lot different than how most millennials thought it would. For starters, we aren't in space, and we don't wear nearly as much silver as Kirsten Storms' titular character in Disney's Zenon trilogy made us think we would. What's even more wild is that we're now closer to when the movie takes place in 2049 than we are to when it was first released in 1999.
More importantly, these movies are still so much fun to watch and revisit that it's a treat we get to stream them all on Disney+ now. And while some might not realize what a gift that is, you would if you understood the fact that Disney's remade some old classics and replaced them with remakes, with the originals nowhere in sight. So, if you've wanted to do a rewatch centered around our favorite intergalactic girl, now's the time.
The first movie in the trilogy, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, is a solid jumping-off point to give us a glimpse into this specific world, these characters, and the stakes. In true Disney fashion, when dabbling with other worlds of any kind, we'd always get some sort of riveting politics attached, too. Granted, it even happens in the Star Wars franchise, but we also see it with another niche Disney film, Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000).
Still, while Zenon might've been from a different planet than those of us watching, every single girl likely wanted to be just like her and live the kind of life she did. Save the planet, then get to see your favorite rockstar perform? Dream life, to be honest. The movie's logistics are ultimately where it shines, and how so much of the production design continues to hold up today. Innovative in more ways than one, we need more movies like it.
While the original movie was stellar in every way an origin story can be, it's Zenon: The Zequel, the second film in the franchise, that skyrocketed my obsession to new heights. Namely because Prota Zoa's "Galaxy Is Ours" was my version of "Let It Go" from Frozen (2013), and I likely annoyed my family by how many times I replayed the specific scene when rewinding on the old VHS tape I had recorded the movie on.
There's something so riveting about how this sequel takes on everything: the space station is under the command of a leader Zenon isn't jiving with; Prota Zoa is having a career-driven existential crisis, and two women who started as antagonists become friends. It's lovely in more ways than one to give kids a compelling story about second chances through a really palatable lens. And Prota Zoa's wildly catchy return single aside, I'm pretty sure this is why I was so obsessed with the movie growing up.
While some Disney trilogies often knew how to go out with a bang, I find that many of the other films peak during their sequel, like Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001) and The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006) alongside Zenon: The Zequel, whereas their third is merely okay. Zenon: Z3 was a fun time all around and certainly a solid closer, but it's also the movie I rewatched the least.
There are genuinely so many strange things that happen in this movie that if you think you've forgotten how bizarre it is, a rewatch will prompt countless eye rolls alongside the laughs. Commander Plank and Aunt Judy adopting a daughter who wants to be just like Zenon? A caricature villain? A man named Sage Borealis? It's all just wild, and only a trilogy like Zenon could pull it all off as effectively, making it a treat, even when it's bonkers from start to finish.
