This film will appeal to tweens and younger, fans of the monster dolls who will likely appreciate the costuming rather than find it a distraction from the sweet relationships at the story's core. In the vein of Disney's popular Zombies films, Monster High: The Movie lets characters work out typical teen angst and identity issues under the guise of fantasy figures from the monster world. These allow for some pretty great puns ("she's got mummy issues," the "ghouls" become "beasties"), and a few pokes at teenage behavior (Frankie struggles to make friends via social media while others communicate solely via their coffin-shaped cell phones, and even vampires have to deal with overbearing parents). Despite the characters' monster "identities," their get-ups (the boys' costumes and powers are especially weak), and their overly staged song-and-dance numbers, they just want what humans want -- to fit in and feel free and loved in one's skin. A brief epilogue hints a sequel is in the works.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.
Image courtesy of Paramount+.
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