Monster High 2

image for Monster High 2

Short takes

Not suitable under 8; parental guidance to 12 (fantasy, scary scenes)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Monster High 2
  • a review of Monster High 2 completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 12 October 2023.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 8 Not suitable due to fantasy content and scary scenes.
Children aged 8–12 Parental guidance recommended due to scary scenes.
Children aged 13 and over Ok for this age group.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Monster High 2
Classification: PG
Consumer advice lines: n/a
Length: 93 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

Now that Monster High has been transformed into a place that accepts all who possess a ‘true’ Monster heart, Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Haris) and her monster peers, Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot) and Draculaura (Nayah Damasen), will embark on their sophomore journey. A new year means new students, new powers, and potential new threats.

As the trio are reunited, they are ready to have ‘their best year ever’. Clawdeen’s heroism has become a viral sensation, however, she is not enjoying the spotlight or the pressure that comes with it. With the introduction of Toralei Stripe (Salena Qureshi), there is a battle with Clawdeen to become school prefect. Toralei is insistent on dividing the student body by turning them against half-bloods and witches. Meanwhile, Draculaura desires to bring peace between vampires and witches but the task she faces will divide the trio and test their friendship.

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Empathy; Diversity; Loyalty; Friendship; Self-esteem; Courage.

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

  • Toralei explains how she was attacked by witches in France who had daggers made of wraith silver. She also shows scars on her arm from the battle.
  • There is a scene where Deuce (Case Walker) and Heath (Justin Derickson) are in a battle with the witches. Heath is throwing fireballs and Deuce is tackled down by a witch until his Medusa snake bites her.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

  • Transformation of characters throughout film, from human to monster form.
  • Use of spells and potions.
  • Scenes in graveyards.
  • Use of spooky music throughout.
  • Images of bats, dark castles, and graveyards throughout.
  • Use of magic/witchcraft.
  • Wolf howls.
  • Levitating.
  • Referring to characters as ghosts and ghouls.
  • Dramatic theatrics with the use of lighting and smoke during a student representative candidate ceremony.
  • There is a frightening scene where ghosts enter through Clawdeen’s window, looking for Draculaura.
  • Gargoyles howling.
  • The Grim Reaper attempts to take Clawdeen after she opens a cage and is poisoned by the wraith silver. The Grim Reaper appears again at the end of the film as Deuce is going through a portal.

Aged five to eightinfo

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

  • Nothing further noted.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

  • None noted. However, the movie is based on a fashion doll franchise, which, therefore, has accompanying merchandise.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

  • One character identifies as "they" and "them".

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

  • Clawdeen and Deuce share a kiss in the final scene.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • The use of spells and potions.

Coarse language

  • None noted.

In a nutshell

Monster High 2 is a musical/fantasy film, based on the Monster High fashion doll franchise by Mattel, and is the sequel to Monster High: The Movie (2022). The film focuses on the themes of diversity; friendship and belonging, and is best suited to teens and families with children aged 8 and over, with parental guidance from ages 8 to 12.

The main messages from this movie are to encourage high school age students to stand up for what they believe in; to focus on diversity as a positive; and to have trust that not all who are different are bad.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • Staying true to your beliefs and values and not changing who you are to fit in with others.
  • Friendship.
  • Finding your place and belonging.
  • Embracing diversity.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

  • Expressing feelings through song as an alternative way to express emotion and communicate.
  • Embracing diversity.
  • The difference between reality and fantasy.