Monster High: The Movie is available to stream now in the UK on Paramount+.
Synopsis
4Monster High: The Movie follows Clawdeen Wolf, who was born half human, half werewolf, after she arrives at her new school, Monster High. She makes friends with roomies and classmates, Frankie Stein and Draculaura, and finally feels like she fits in, despite keeping her human side a secret. It’s not long before the trio need to come to the school’s rescue, as Monster High is threatened by an untrue monster heart!
Review
I’m not going to argue with anyone that I’m in the target demographic for a film like Monster High: The Movie. But what I will argue is that I know a good Halloween movie when I see one. Every year, October is filled to the brim with serial killers, demons and darkness. But when I was a kid I loved nothing more than a Scooby Doo marathon and some carefree Halloween fun.
Unbeknownst to me, Monster High is an incredibly successful line of fashion dolls from Mattel. First introduced in 2010, the franchise has since released a number of animated movies and series. That part I was aware of. But this is the first time that characters such as Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris) are appearing in live-action.
The premise is simple: Clawdeen is a half-human, half-monster. Her mother was a werewolf and her father is human. She wanted to attend the legendary Monster High but the school doesn’t accept anyone even half human. What proceeds is a story of acceptance on all levels, something we all strive for, and a wonderful message to teach to a younger audience.
Clawdeen quickly makes friends with Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot). As the name suggests, Frankie was pieced together in a lab using the parts of various famous figures from across history. Frankie is quick to introduce themselves as using they/them pronouns. Part of me takes great pleasure in knowing a subset of parents will roll their eyes. But what a wonderful message to the audience that Frankie, who is comedically brilliant, should be accepted for who they are from the outset.
Rounding out the trio of leads if Draculaura (Nayah Damasen). Draculaura is both a vampire and a witch but knows her father (Dracula obvs) won’t approve. Her story centres of finding the approval from her family she so desperately yearns for. In doing so it also helps her to drop her guard and make friends with other students.
You can see where I’m going with this. As an adult it’s clear to see the three leads are analogies for navigating young adulthood through the eyes of race, gender and sexuality. But the message of Greg Erb’s story is never heavy handed. It’s all beautifully wrapped up in a colourful production which is no doubt going to be captivating for kids. Especially when the music kicks in.
This is the first attempt to bring Monster High in to the musical genre. In fact it’s also the first time Nickelodeon has produced a musical movie. Genre-wise, the film sticks to contemporary pop stylings. This isn’t the kind of film which is going to reach an audience with diverse musical tastes. Whilst it’s certainly not my kind of music it was perfectly produced for maximum impact and lyrically fit the tone of each character well. Group dance numbers were incredibly choreographed and only served to amp up the already scintillating production.
Nickelodeon is well known for the level of detail in its productions. We’ve all grown up with shows like iCarly, a series whose set design was littered with tiny details. Even in my day, pre-HD series like Alex Mack and Are You Afraid of the Dark? packed a visual punch. All the locations within Monster High itself a well realised and captivating. Dorm rooms are all perfectly decorated to evoke the personality of their characters. Outdoor locations like the graveyard are also well designed without every become too scary.
Monter High‘s casting is excellent. All of the principal actors are able to handle the drama, singing and dancing like its second nature. Miia Harris has to shoulder much of the narrative and is a compelling lead. She’s also well complement by both Balagot and Damson as her two besties. Monster High’s leading man Deuce Gorgon (Case Walker) serves his purpose perfectly as a love interest for Clawdeen.
Verdict
There’s no denying that Monster High: The Movie is a perfect Halloween movie for kids. Bright, colourful and packed with memorable songs. It’s the perfect antithesis to the usual October horror-fare.
⭐⭐⭐
