Sep 30 2024

Halloween Comes in the Form of a Treasure Hunt in Treasure Trackers

On Oct 1, 2024 viewers can go on a Halloween treasure hunt with Leah, Tessa, and Marshy in the brand new movie Treasure Trackers. Named for the brothers who basically formed the town, Carterville features an epic story of gold, betrayal, and death. Interested in the history of the town, Leah and her friends begin a quest to learn more and maybe discover the gold buried underneath.

Available to purchase on digital platforms Oct. 1, 2024, Treasure Trackers boasts a fun treasure hunt as 3 misfits battle bullies, solve clues, and discover historical facts about Carterville. It stars Charity Rose, Amelia Salazar, Sean Jay, Sam Coffelt, Kim Sandwich, Cooper Tomlinson, Zephaniah Terry, Jaymee Vowell, Mike Stanley, Jim Johnson, Matthew Tarricone, Constance Reynolds, Alfred E. Rutherford, Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Cliff Jestice, Patrick G. Keenan, Leora Berry, Chris Thiede, and Austin Von Johnson.

I receieved the chance to review Treasure Trackers and here is what I thought. Please note: SPOILERS BELOW!

Treasure Trackers follows a California transplant, Leah Weaver. After her dad ditches her in Carterville, Leah learns about the Carterville founders and the cursed buried gold. When a bully looks to release the curse, Leah and her two friends, Tessa and Marshy, go on an adventure to track down the treasure and destroy it.

With several clues to solve, meddling parents, and a scary Raven Witch hiding in the forest, the search for Silas’ treasure could prove to be difficult. In fact, it might be impossible to find once we discover that it could’ve been buried in the underworld.

Made for pre-teens, this “scary movie” brings the fun of Halloween as it melds the worlds of the living and the dead. Like most treasure hunts, Treasure Trackers has several riddles to solve in order to unlock the next clue. While the creepy vibe is low and the jump scares are almost non-existent, It still gives off that ghostly suspenseful feeling of a Halloween story.

The riddles, creepy vibes, and a feeling of suspense helps to strengthen the movies prowess, however, Treasure Trackers is definitely a straight to digital film. It comes across as a writing project that some random college student had to complete in record time, making sure to check off all the common tropes, such as character backstories, foreshadowing, and pages of descriptions. Bringing a creative writing piece to the screen is a difficult task and Treasure Trackers falls a little flat. The backstories of several characters have no purpose, there is a lot of false foreshadowing, the movie has several moments of wasted space, and it leaves behind so many questions.

The backstories of a character can make or break the connection an audience has with the story or a movie. In Treasure Trackers, after her mom dies, Leah is ditched by her dad in Carterville. If you want the audience to hate a character, this is a great start. We never truly understand the dad’s decision, other than he has to go commercial fishing to earn money. Because of this last ditch effort, Leah is left with her Aunt and her Aunt’s competitive eating husband.

I bring up the “competitive eating” aspect because the directors decided that this characteristic is important. The camera pans to the trophies, shows his eating habits, and makes this first impression a defining moment. One would think that this characteristic would be a larger part to the story…It isn’t. In fact, it’s never mentioned again. The background of this character was useless. Imagine if they had taken the opportunity to make one of the trophies a clue, perhaps it was made from a Carterville artifact, which featured the next riddle. Instead, the character falls off the map, and the backstory was wasted space.

Wasted space doesn’t end at character development, it continues into the foreshadowing…better described as false foreshadowing. The decision to showcase unimportant moments is a common theme throughout Treasure Trackers. I’m not sure if the hope was to mislead the audience and create suspense or if it was purposely done to annoy the viewers. What I do know is that it causes disarray and a lack of interest in the story. For example, in one scene, Leah is alone in the forest using the metal detector her dad bought her (because, you know, they are broke). She finds a metal key laying next to a fallen tree, which had been marked as the tree that killed Silas. One would think this key was extremely important. Maybe it opened the treasure chest or unlocked a hidden door. Being found in such an auspicious location, surely means that this key would be the key of keys. Nope. Just an old key. The tree is never showed again, the key is used to deceive a bully, and the entire reason for this scene is lost. Wasted space.

The foreshadowing is often misplaced with scenes that give the audience more questions than answers. In the scene where Leah is using the metal detector inside a witches circle, she never picks up the hidden compartment. I have to ask, why? It wasn’t deep, there was metal on the book and on the mirror, and there was a large metal lever to open the compartment. Her metal detector should have been screaming, and yet not even a blip sounded off from her device. Why? What caused this?

At least the foreshadowing alerts the audience that Treasure Trackers will get a bit dark. In order for Leah, Tessa, and Marshy to find the treasure, they must go where the Raven Witch buried the chest. That means they must go to the underworld. Yup, we follow the three kids as they enter a portal to hell. With a lake of fire, a floating brain buzzer, a random gameshow quiz run by a stuffed raven, and a cursed chest, the story goes from a treasure hunt to souls of the damned. This is where the adventure picks up speed and reaches the climax of the story. With only minutes on the clock before the portal to hell closes, Leah, Tessa, and Marshy must destroy the chest without releasing the soul of Silas, and escape hell before they are stuck there forever.

This ending is exciting. With a limited time to find the gold, crazy lava falls, and the pressure to destroy the much needed money, the audience can feel the stress as the three friends fight to save the world from Silas. I think the ending is the best part of the movie. They need to take this vibe and spread it throughout the whole film. Imagine if this sort of urgency continued through the story, forcing the audience to exhaustively follow the kids as Halloween and the end of the world inched closer.

Even though Treasure Trackers fell flat with their character development, false foreshadowing, and wasted space, it is a fun Halloween adventure that takes the audience on a treasure hunt with riddles, bullies, and portals to the underworld. It’s interesting to see where each clue leads and how the kids solve the problems they face even though we are left with more questions than answers. The ending is exciting and the urgency of the ending is fantastic. I wish that the whole movie had that same urgency feeling. This will not be the next Goonies or Hocus Pocus, but Treasure Trackers is still a fun movie to watch during the spooky season of Halloween.

More about Treasure Trackers

Release Date: Available to Purchase on Digital Platforms 10/1
Starring: Charity Rose, Amelia Salazar, Sean Jay, Sam Coffelt, Kim Sandwich, Cooper Tomlinson, Zephaniah Terry, Jaymee Vowell, Mike Stanley, Jim Johnson, Matthew Tarricone, Constance Reynolds, Alfred E. Rutherford, Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Cliff Jestice, Patrick G. Keenan, Leora Berry, Chris Thiede, Austin Von Johnson
Executive Produced By: Tomás Yankelevich, Peter Bevan, Mariana Sanjurjo, Matthew D. Miller
Produced By: Jason Potash, Paul Finkel, Ricky Blumenstein, Harris Kauffman
Co-Produced By: Nicholas Chow, Roxana Dellocchio, Alan Luna, Natalie Ballesteros
Screenplay By: Harris Kauffman
Directed By: Drew and Nate Garcia
Run Time: 93 mins
Rating: PG for some scary moments, language, mild thematic elements and a suggestive reference.

Full Synopsis: TREASURE TRACKERS follows the adventure of three middle school kids who band together to find their small town’s mythic treasure— and destroy it. The story begins with Leah Weaver’s arrival in the nowheresville Southern town of Carterville, where her father has just dropped her off with her kooky aunt and uncle while he takes up work abroad. A fish out of water, Leah has trouble fitting in at the local middle school, until she meets fellow misfits Tessa and Marshy.

When Leah learns the folklore surrounding the small town’s founders from the amiable librarian, Mr. Bigsby, Leah recruits Marshy and Tessa in a hunt for the hidden gold. Leah soon discovers that there is much more to the legend than she originally understood: the gold bars are cursed by the town’s local witch, the “Raven Witch”, and it now possesses the trapped soul of the evil town founder, Silas Carter. Whoever finds the gold risks releasing Silas’ wicked spirit on the world. Leah, Marshy, and Tessa’s hunt for the gold bars is given new meaning when they discover that the local bully, Rhett Perry, and his high school friends are also on the hunt. Now it’s a race to solve the clues left behind by Silas Carter to destroy the cursed gold, and prevent Rhett and the teenagers from releasing his evil spirit on the world.

With help along the way from Tessa’s mysterious grandmother, the kids continuously work to outsmart the teens, leading to a final clue that brings about the treasure hunt’s climatic ending: Silas Carter’s gold can only be accessed through a magical portal on Halloween night. On All Hallows’ Eve, the trio of misfits embark on their final mission to destroy the gold, a journey which takes them into a magical realm overseen by none other than the Raven Witch.

Sep 24 2024

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Is Coming to Disney Channel and Disney Plus!

On October 29, 2024, Justin and Alex Russo are back in the brand new series, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place! In this new series we find that Justin Russo has chosen to lead a normal, mortal life with his family, Giada, Roman and Milo. But his life gets turned upside-down when Alex, Justin’s sister, seeks his help, To keep the future of the Wizard World safe, Justin must begin doing magic once again.

Check out the Trailer below!

I am so ridiculously excited for this! I grew up with the classic Wizards of Waverly Place and I truly hope they do it justice! The fact that we have original cast members coming back is so epic. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will star: David Henrie, Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, Mimi Gianopulos, Selena Gomez! (Disney)

Oct 29 can’t come soon enough!

Sep 19 2024

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day Printables

Time to batten the hatches and swab the deck, It be Talk Like a Pirate Day! International Talk Like a Pirate Day was created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon. They stated that September 19 is the day that everyone should talk like a pirate. Personally, I am glad they declared such a holiday!

We searched the ocean for a couple fun piratey loots and found a couple of coloring pages from Crayola and DIY playsets from Disney! Check out the printables and crafts below and have fun on this Talk Like a Pirate Day holiday!

To download the printables, click the images below and save the PDFs to your computer. Then print and create!

1. DIY Pirate Chest

Use this fun template to make pirate chests and fill them with al kinds of booty!

    2. Cosplay Pirate Costume

    Make a pirate sword and a pirate hat to cosplay as a cool pirate today!

    3. Pirate Sand Castle

    This printable sand castle craft makes sure you always have our jar of dirt!

    4. Pirate Maze

    Find the treasure with this fun maze

    5. Pirate Coloring Pages

    Download these printable coloring pages for a shanty of a good time!

    Coloring Page 1
    Coloring Page 2
    Coloring Page 3

    Have a Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

    Sep 10 2024

    Treasure Trackers Lands Halloween Gold in All-New Trailer

    Starring Charity Rose, Sean Jay and Amelia Salazar, Treasure Trackers will be available on Digital Platforms starting 10/1, just in time for the spooky season! The heart of the Treasure Trackers is a sense of family-fantasy, adventure, and nostalgia. Check out the newly released trailer above along with the press notes, where you can learn about the film’s 90 piece orchestra and more! The film will be available on Digital platforms starting 10/1.

    Treasure Trackers follows California surfer Leah who must relocate to the small town of Carterville, where she bands together fellow misfits Marshy and Tessa to track down the town’s mythic treasure. When the trio uncovers the truth behind the treasure’s Halloween curse, they must outsmart the high school troublemakers before an evil spirit is accidentally released.

    Check out the trailer here:

    Treasure Trackers was born from a blend of creative vision, ambition, and the timeless elements that the producers felt would make for a compelling movie: a thrilling treasure hunt, a Halloween curse, a trio of misfit middle schoolers who beat the odds with wits and ingenuity, and a young hero who discovers that the real treasure lies in the friendships forged along the way.

    More about Treasure Trackers:

    Release Date: Available to Purchase on Digital Platforms 10/1
    Starring: Charity Rose, Amelia Salazar, Sean Jay, Sam Coffelt, Kim Sandwich, Cooper Tomlinson, Zephaniah Terry, Jaymee Vowell, Mike Stanley, Jim Johnson, Matthew Tarricone, Constance Reynolds, Alfred E. Rutherford, Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Cliff Jestice, Patrick G. Keenan, Leora Berry, Chris Thiede, Austin Von Johnson
    Executive Produced By: Tomás Yankelevich, Peter Bevan, Mariana Sanjurjo, Matthew D. Miller
    Produced By: Jason Potash, Paul Finkel, Ricky Blumenstein, Harris Kauffman
    Co-Produced By: Nicholas Chow, Roxana Dellocchio, Alan Luna, Natalie Ballesteros
    Screenplay By: Harris Kauffman
    Directed By: Drew and Nate Garcia

    Full Synopsis: TREASURE TRACKERS follows the adventure of three middle school kids who band together to find their small town’s mythic treasure— and destroy it. The story begins with Leah Weaver’s arrival in the nowheresville Southern town of Carterville, where her father has just dropped her off with her kooky aunt and uncle while he takes up work abroad. A fish out of water, Leah has trouble fitting in at the local middle school, until she meets fellow misfits Tessa and Marshy.

    When Leah learns the folklore surrounding the small town’s founders from the amiable librarian, Mr. Bigsby, Leah recruits Marshy and Tessa in a hunt for the hidden gold. Leah soon discovers that there is much more to the legend than she originally understood: the gold bars are cursed by the town’s local witch, the “Raven Witch”, and it now possesses the trapped soul of the evil town founder, Silas Carter. Whoever finds the gold risks releasing Silas’ wicked spirit on the world. Leah, Marshy, and Tessa’s hunt for the gold bars is given new meaning when they discover that the local bully, Rhett Perry, and his high school friends are also on the hunt. Now it’s a race to solve the clues left behind by Silas Carter to destroy the cursed gold, and prevent Rhett and the teenagers from releasing his evil spirit on the world.

    With help along the way from Tessa’s mysterious grandmother, the kids continuously work to outsmart the teens, leading to a final clue that brings about the treasure hunt’s climatic ending: Silas Carter’s gold can only be accessed through a magical portal on Halloween night. On All Hallows’ Eve, the trio of misfits embark on their final mission to destroy the gold, a journey which takes them into a magical realm overseen by none other than the Raven Witch.

    Run Time: 93 mins
    Rating: PG for some scary moments, language, mild thematic elements and a suggestive reference.

    Sep 10 2024

    We are heading to Spokane for the Anime Washington with Licensed Merchandise!

     On Sept 14-15, 2024 Cutoff Crafts, our sister business, will be hosting a booth at Anime Washington in Spokane! With over 35 voice actors, a gaming area, costumes, vendors, artists, and panels, this event will be a “can’t miss” animecon! We can’t wait!

    At this animecon, we will be debuting our brand new merchandise and logo for Cutoff Crafts! YES! We officially have our own licensed merchan-dice! It has been a while in the making and we are finally able to release the new look and collection. Check out our new Mystery Loot Dice Bags. These mystery loots come in a blind bag and contain at least one set of dice!

    Our standard collection features three different level mystery loots giving fans the ability to choose which level of dice hoarding they wish to achieve.

    Level 1 is the Goblin Pack. This blind bag is perfect for those who like to collect the clickety-clacks and shinies. The pack contains one set of seven dice. A set of dice is a d4, d6, d8, d10, d10%, d12, and d20. The set are all in the same theme and/or colors. The options range from transparent, to sparkles, to pearl, and more. There are even rare sets to find that could include3+ colors, different fonts such as rune, arcane, and others, or even oversized sets.

    Level 2 is the Elf Pack. This blind bag is perfect for those who look to receive a bit more than dice. After all, there is more to the world than dice…there are also stickers! The Elf Pack contains one set of seven dice and 5 fantasy themed stickers. Like the Goblin Pack, there are rare sets to find that could include3+ colors, different fonts such as rune, arcane, and others, or even oversized sets. However, unlike the Goblin Pack, the Elf Pack is elevated with some beautiful and fun stickers. These stickers range in size and could feature weapons, castles, dragons, DND themed sayings and images, and so much more. A few even contain gorgeous, highly sought after, steampunk characters.

    Level 3 is the Dragon Pack. This blind bag is perfect for those who hoard like a dragon and want to collect all the shinies. The Dragon Pack contains two sets of seven dice! However, one set is a halfling set at only 10mm! Like the Goblin pack, there are rare sets to find that could include 3+ colors, different fonts such as rune, arcane, and others, or even oversized sets. The halfling set could also be a rare set featuring multiple colors . There is even a chance to find a super rare glow in the dark halfling set!

    We are so excited for Anime Washington in Spokane and hope to see you there!

    Sep 04 2024

    The Sun is Setting on Disney Movie Insiders

    It is with a heavy heart that I announce the end of Disney Movie Insider. I have been a member of the company since their inception. That is 18 years of Disney rewards. They had a revamp in 2015 making it one of the biggest reward programs out there. Anyone who has bought a Disney movie has seen the reward code inside their DVDs and Blu-Rays. It was a great way to get unique loot throughout the year. From Wins Days to holiday ornaments, Disney Movie Insiders was an amazing program.

    Sadly, they have announced on Facebook and their website that Sept 6, 2024 will be the last day to turn in codes and Dec 3, 2024 will be the final day to redeem points. The sun is setting on a family fun program and my heart is breaking. It will be missed.

    For all Disney Movie Insider members, be sure to get all your points in by Sept 6, 2024 and get all that you want from the rewards that are left. Many are now out of stock, leaving members with slim pickings. I also suggest that members go through all their purchased printables and download them before they are no longer available. There are a few errors happening on the website making it difficult to download our rewards, so be patient and refresh the page as needed.

    To make sure you get all you want and that your points are not lost, go to http://disneymovieinsiders.com/ and start the process of clearing everything out. It is a sad process, but necessary for all DMI members. Hopefully the DMI family will continue working together to make Disney a blast. Who knows, maybe a new program will pop up with even better rewards that the DMI family can join.

    I tip my hat to Disney Movie Insider. Goodbye to a wonderful family friendly Disney program and to the DMI family that has formed over a similar love of all things Disney. This is a sad announcement and a sad ending.

    Aug 26 2024

    Disney Movie Insiders has a Disney Princess Sweepstakes!

    Disney Movie Insider (DMI) members get to create their whole new world with the brand new Disney Princess Sweepstakes! With the chance to win a Disney gift card, figurines, bags, books, and more, DMI members are sure to magically transform their points into entries. Of course, being a DMI member means our first entry is free! Each additional entry is 15 points! Fans can enter here.

    The official Disney Princess website states, “Be true to your heart, dig a little deeper, and see how far you’ll go!” My guess, that means if we love this sweepstakes and dig into our points, we can enter as many times as we can. Let’s see how far we can go, and who will win!

    But what exactly is the prize? No surprise, it will be princess themed! Two (2) Grand Prize Winners will receive:

    • (1) $500 Disney Gift Card
    • Enesco Princess Figurine
    • Tiana Funko Pop!
    • Simple Modern Disney 40 oz Tumbler
    • LEGO Disney Princess Market Adventure
    • Loungefly Disney Princess Tiana Mini-Backpack
    • Happy Planner Disney Daily Notebook
    • Funko Bitty Pop! Disney Princess 4-Pack – Series 1
    • Tangled Up in You Book
    • Almost There, A Twisted Tale Book

    Will I be one of the two winners, I highly doubt it, but I can dream right? Maybe I will get lucky and a fairy godmother will descend from the stars and Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo me a slick winning ticket. If I win, I will do a crazy unboxing!

    In the mean time, while we wait impatiently for the announcement of the winner, the Disney Princess Website has provided several activities that Disney fans will enjoy. Grab a cool printable activity kit, listen to Almost There, shop Disney Princess items, Download some fun wallpapers, and have fun with some princess themed activities.

    The Printable Activity Book includes activities that feature each princess: Snow White, Tiana, Ariel, Rapunzel, Moana, Raya, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Merida. While this is a crazy line up of princesses, I have one question…Where is Anna and Elsa? These two are the most princessy of princesses, and yet, they are nowhere to be seen.

    Despite the lack of a Frozen collection, the printable activity book does feature 40 pages of crafts, coloring pages, mazes, spot the difference, matching, puzzles, drawing, crosswords, recipes, scavenger hunts, mad libs, bingo, stories, and more. It is full of crafts and activities the whole family can enjoy in one large PDF. I LOVE IT!

    Along with the Activity book, the Disney Princess website also includes several other printable activities fans can enjoy to discover the magic of our inner Disney Princess and be inspired to go out and create our world! These activities include:

    Be sure to grab more Disney Princess Printables from our blog here and enjoy everything Disney Princess has to offer while we wait to see who wins

    Aug 22 2024

    Fun Pixie Hollow Games that will Rival the Olympics!

    Now that the Human Summer Olympics are over, it’s time to start the Fairy Olympics called the Pixie Hollow Games. However, unlike the human games, the Pixie Hollow Games are a lot more fun! Competitors will have a wide variety of events to compete in with the attempt to win the Fairy Trophy!

    To throw a Pixie Hollow Games, simply read through the games, collect the need materials, and start planning the event. Once everything is gathered and prepared, collect the competitors and begin the games!

    The games include:

    • Mr. Twitches Animal Talent Training
      • This game is all about Animal Training. To play, one person must be selected to be the Kitty named Mr. Twitches. Mr. Twitches stands at one end of the room and the rest of the competitors stand at the other end of the room. While Mr. Twitches faces the wall, in unison, the competitors ask Mr. Twitches, “What time is it, Mr. Twitches?” Mr. Twitches will then turn around and state a time, such as 3 o’clock. The kitty will then face the wall and the competitors will move ahead 3 steps. However, if Mr. Twitches says Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner time, the kitty will chase the competitors back to the starting line. If the kitty catches one, they become a snack and the competitor is out of the game. The goal is to catch Mr. Twitches with it’s back turned.
    • Vidia’s Scavenger Hunt Fast Flying Talent Training
      • Using the list on the activity card, have the competitors find the items. Fastest Fairy Wins!
    • Perfect Posture Garden Talent Training
      • The event host marks a distance on a track. Competitors get a team together. Taking turns, each competitor must balance a book on their head, walk to the end of the track, and back. The first team to get all their players down and back wins.
    • Rainbow Go! Light Talent Training
      • A person is chosen to be the Fairy Traffic Director and is stationed at one end of the track, facing away from the competitors. . The competitors station themselves at the other end of the track. When the Event Host yells go, the competitors will race to the Fairy Traffic Director (FTD). When the FTD turns and yells red light, all competitors must stop. If the FTD sees movement from a competitor, that competitor is out of the game. The FTD will then turn and yell green light, allowing the competitors to run to the FTD again. This continues until ne person touches the FTD. Don’t worry, there is no Squid Game action here.
    • Tink’s Exer-“Dice” Tinker Talent Training
      • Make a fitness routine using a DIY die with activities such as jumping jacks, sit-ups, stretches, and more. Write them on the die. The Event Host will set a 1 min timer. Players will roll the die and complete as many tasks as they can. The person with the most completed tasks wins.
    • Sil’s Bubble Catch Water Talent Training
      • The Event Host gets a bubble station and a wand. The competitors line up with wands of their own. The Event host will then set a timer for one min. The Bubble Blower will then blow bubbles for one minute. The competitor to collect the most bubbles without them popping wins

    Click each image above to get the PDF for instructions and fun printable dice. The PDF can be printed to form a brochure for each competitor. They make great instruction pamphlets and a fun keepsake.

    After all the games are done, it is time to dish out the trophies. Use the printable below to make the cool pixie game trophies

    You can also hand out medals, which are found on amazon (affiliate link). These give a much more legit award.

    Get family and friends together and start the festivities to end the summer before school starts! It is fun for the whole family and will be a great Fairy-Olympics!

    Aug 08 2024

    Monster High 2 Eyeball Cake Pops Recipe

    Monster High 2 is coming to DVD Aug 13! This time we get even more Draculaura and her friends as they battle witches, save the school, and learn more about a dislike between vampires and witches. It is a crazy high school life for Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris), Draculaura (Nayah Damasen), and Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot)! Grab Monster High 2 on DVD from Amazon.com (affiliate link) and begin the musical adventure!

    To celebrate the release of Monster High 2 on DVD we have a fang-tastic recipe to share! Below find the perfect bite size dessert, Monster High Eyeball Cake Pops! With just a few simple ingredients and some candy eyes, these eyeball cake pops are claw-riffic!

    Items needed:

    To get the instruction on how to make the eyeball cake pops, click the image below and save the PDF to your computer. Then print and create.

    Aug 05 2024

    Monster High 2 Review and DVD Giveaway! – Ends 8-19-2024

    Monster High 2 expands from stream only to DVD on Aug 13, 2024! Fans can follow Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris), Draculaura (Nayah Damasen), and Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot) as they battle new students, new powers, and an age old war that could tear their school apart. Grab Monster High 2 on DVD from Amazon.com (affiliate link) and begin the musical adventure!

    I received the chance to review Monster High 2 and here is what I thought. SPOILERS BELOW!

    Like the first movie, the only thing fans will find similar from the original cartoon series in Monster High 2 are the names and some characteristics of the power-house trio, Clawdeen, Draculaura, and Frankie. Everything else becomes a shadow of existence. Lets just call the original cartoon series the Legendary Historical Documents; perhaps they are still canon, but they were changed for a more diverse audience. At least we can say the message really hasn’t changed. Monster High is still about inclusivity and accepting of everyone’s unique attributes.

    Monster High 2 brings the power-house trio back to Monster High as they start their sophomore year. One would expect peace, love, and harmony after their battle and victory in Monster High; the Movie. However, the were-cat, Torelai Stripe (Salena Quershi), claws her way into the lives of her fellow students and begins spewing hatred for half human monsters and witchcraft. So a storyline we thought was done, has resurfaced in a Vampire-Witch War, dragging Draculaura and her friends into the center of chaos.

    The chaos is not only Torelai fault. It turns out there is an imposter among them, and his target is the Vampire/Sorcerer, Draculaura. With good looks and a charismatic demeaner, Ellis creeps into the heart of Draculaura as the new love interest. Bonding over both being vampires and both loving magic, these two look to be the next power couple in Monster High.

    Honestly, while the love interest is expected, there is so much more that goes on in this movie. I found myself nearly shouting at the screen, “Pick a plot! Pick a direction!” It would take me a while to decently sum up Monster High 2, so I though I would give bullet points of the major plots and sub-plots I found. We have:

    • inclusion troubles…again,
    • magic troubles…again,
    • a school that seems to deny students their rights…again,
    • a love interest
    • witch/vampire war
    • a battle/attack at Monster High,
    • a befuddled victim of viscous lies
    • and of course, we have the ever popular story line that creeps to the climax and falls slightly to the expected end with, maybe, a slight twist.

    Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the worst movie I have seen, However, I think Monster High 2 would have benefited if the writer/director would have focused on one plot or story. There was just too much in Monster High 2, which almost made it dull. It wasn’t until the witch/vampire debacle came into play that the story really picked up with some fight scenes, rescues, and friendship is magic tropes (oops, wrong franchise).

    Multiple plots are not a make or break to a movie. Monster High 2 does successfully draw in an audience with its catchy music, decent acting, and fun costumes.

    Monster High 2 is a musical. Nickelodeon takes a successful franchise and adds a musical twist to keep the young audience engaged to their toe tapping stories. These hidden gems appear throughout the movie breaking some of the tension, anxiety, or boredom. The actors do a fairly good job blending dialog to musical numbers with decent acting and singing . And let me just say, their voices are amazing. This is the perfect cast to make a musical.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6Jet4H5daQA

    The perfect additions to each musical number and scene are the iconic costumes that one would find at Monster High. Easily duplicated by cosplayers, these costumes scream Monster High franchise and allow fans to enjoy the eccentric ensembles.

    Monster High 2 is a decent movie regarding acting, music, and costumes. I wouldn’t say it is the best, but it at least captures a franchise and sticks to the original message of inclusion no matter how you look. It is a little off track for me because I love the original so much, but Monster High 2 has it’s moments.

    In celebration of Monster High 2 coming to DVD Aug 13, 2024, We are hosting a giveaway! Follow the instructions below to enter! I hope you have Fangtastic luck!

    To Enter the DVD Giveaway use the form below. Simply follow, comment, post on X, and more. Each task gives you an entry! Remember, many will enter only one will win! If you do not wish to use the form below, use our contact form and send use your name and email address along with which Giveaway you are entering. Will will add your name to the random drawing.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway