Movie Review: Welcome to Monster High

I’d like to begin this review by clarifying that I am well beyond the intended demographic of Monster High, but I really do love it. I love that the characters are the children of famous monsters (Dracula, The Wolfman, The Phantom of the Opera, etc) and that I appreciate the main message this IP has for young ladies: Be yourself!

In a world where it feels like in order to fit in, you have to shoehorn yourself into a specific mold, MH is refreshing. It encourages it’s audience to be kind, unique and if you feel the need, be a monster. If they had this around when I was a little girl, I would probably not feel as guilty for being all over it. I probably have around 35 of the dolls, I’ve seen all of the other movies (most are available on Netflix if you want to watch them judgement-free), and I’ve even been known to sing along to their musical movie in the car. To put it simply, I am a huge fan of Monster High. I love it’s message, the characters are all adorable in their own way, and one day, I dream of having a pretty fang-tastic Frankie Stein cosplay. (To date, my favorite MH movie is the Boo York, Boo York Musical.)

I’m aware that for most ‘adults’, this IP is definitely aimed more toward ‘tween girls, and therefore overlooked. But just like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, there’s a lot one can learn if they sit down and give it a chance.

I had the opportunity to go to an early screening of their newest film, ‘Welcome to Monster High’, which is the origin story fans have been waiting for. The film explains how the school was founded, who was responsible and how Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf and Frankie Stein met for the first time. Here’s an official synopsis of the film:

“Once upon a tomb, monsters lived in hiding, afraid they would be in danger if humans knew they existed. But Draculaura, daughter of Dracula, and her ghoulfriends dreamt of a school where everyone was welcome, and a world where monsters and humans could co-exist. Determined to make their dream come true, Draculaura and her best ghoulfriends travel the world on an epic adventure to recruit new students. But even in an amazing place like Monster High, there’s drama; a villainous zombie is spreading trouble rather than friendship, and every student must live with the fear that their secret will be revealed. Be there for the beginning of the thrilling and fun monster movement. It’s a scary-cool good time that will celebrate the monsters among us!”

It’s worth mentioning that this film kicks off a ‘reboot’ of sorts. It looks like everyone’s style is getting a bit of an update from the original. For the longtime fans of the franchise, this might seem a little bit different from what you’re used to. The plot is a little predictable, but there’s lots of clever little jokes and it’s cute. I felt it was better than some of the previous releases.

One thing that sets this film apart is actually getting to see some of the monsters’ parents! We learn Draculaura’s father truly cares about his daughter. We also get to meet Clawdeen Wolf’s mother, where in previous movies, we’ve rarely gotten a glimpse of the parents of our protagonists. It’s refreshing, and I truly hope we get to see more as time goes along.

Included with the theatrical release, we got a glimpse of a collaboration with Monster High and Lady Gaga! An ‘Adult Collectible’ will be coming Fall 2016. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Born This Way Foundation. I won’t lie, I am super excited about this collab. I’ve been a Lady Gaga fan for a bit now.

But look for ‘Welcome to Monster High’, hitting DVD/Blu-Ray and Digital HD on September 27th, 2016!

-Jen