‘Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century’ is the ‘Night of the Comet’ of DCOMs (review)

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Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs) range from the Halloween-tinged “Under Wraps” and “Halloweentown,” to “Smart House.” 1999 DCOM “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” provides a fascinating mix of futuristic elements and grounded characters for a fun, relatable sci-fi adventure.

It’s 2049, Zenon Kar (Kristen Storms) is your average 13-year-old girl. However, Zenon lives aboard a space station orbiting Earth. Entrepreneur Parker Wyndham (Frederick Coffin) arrives for a seemingly routine check up, but Zenon suspects trouble. However, space station commander Edward Plank (Stuart Pankin) dismisses Zenon’s claims. As punishment, Kar is banished to earth to live with her aunt Judy (Holly Fulger). Aside from the culture shock, Zenon is slated to miss a performance by hit pop band Microbe for their first show in space. Microbe is clearly a thinly veiled Backstreet Boys or NSYNC reference. Compounding the situation, Zenon won a contest to appear onstage with Mircobe frontman Proto Zoa (Phillip Rhys). While on Earth, Zenon uncovers definitive proof of a conspiracy by Wyndham to infect the space station with a computer virus and cash in on insurance money.

Amidst its more juvenile elements, “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” is a shockingly intelligent film. From the onset, the titular Zenon Kar is posited as a normal teenage. Under the veneer of advanced technology and outer space atmosphere, she’s the average teen. Zenon abhors waking up early, sleeps through class, lives for fracturing the rules, and is obsessed with trending pop bands. Despite the celestial setting, Zenon and her best friend Nebula (Raven-Symone) are essentially the same as their Earthbound counterparts.Zenon’s stint on Earth highlights these differences, or lack thereof. As her budding friendship and romantic interest in classmate Greg (Gregory Smith) prove, the dissimilarities between Earth- and space-dwelling populations is largely perceived. Technological differences aside, humanity is universal.

In this way, “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” is the “Night of the Comet” of DCOMs. 1984 sci-fi cult classic “Night of the Comet” follows two Valley girl stereotypes plopped into a post-apocalyptic scenario. It’s an unusual twist where the characters aren’t altered substantially by the setting. Similarly, “Zenon” upends the trope of advanced civilization. Instead, humanity is relatively unchanged despite living on Earth or on a space station. It’s less “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and more “The Fifth Element.”

The plot is simple and fairly predictable. From the beginning, it’s pretty clear where “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” is headed. Nevertheless, it manages to delight with a bumbling, accidentally successful hero in Zenon. Kar is at once charming and bothersome, a unique mix. Overall, its message of diversity breaks down societal barriers. It’s a surprisingly, refreshingly inclusive film that’s fun yet subtly poignant.