Monster High, a franchise known for its scarily fashionable dolls, has finally returned. Fans fearing for the franchise now have a new generation of fangtastic ghouls to learn about in live-action musical form. A collaboration between Nickelodeon and Paramount+, the movie was initially released on October 6th. The main trio consists of Mila Harris as Clawdeen Wolf, transgender actor, Ceci Balagot, as Frankie Stein, and Nayah Damasen as Draculaura.

The story follows Clawdeen Wolf, an Afro-Latino half-human, half-werewolf monster who is having trouble fitting in. She admits herself to Monster High, a school for monsters. She believes that this is where she can truly find herself. At Monster High she meets and befriends Frankie Stein (pronouns they/them), a non-binary simulacrum, who is also new to the world (when they are first introduced, they are 15 days old) of monsters. She later befriends Draculaura, a Taiwanese vampire with witchy secrets. 

Clawdeen begins to find where she belongs at Monster High but things begin to change when a devious plot begins to arise and she is told that at Monster High where true monsters have true monster hearts and is at risk of her true scaratige being found out. In the end, Clawdeen is at home with her friends, Draculaura and Frankie, at Monster High.

The songs are nothing extraordinary, but “Three of Us” stands out with its fun and catchy beat with the main trio singing extremely well. The fashion choices are one of the best components of the movie, giving the rebooted characters each a unique and distinct yet cohesive style. 

Problems that stand out to fans in regards to the newer generation, are the changes to specific characters such as Clawdeen Wolf and Ghoulia Yelps. One of the changes made to Clawdeen was her sexuality. Confirmed to be lesbian by Monster High creator, Garret Sander, her sexuality has seemed to be changed as her love interest is now Deuce Gorgon, son of Medusa. Deuce previously dated Cleo De Nile in this film and as well in previous movies. Ghoulia Yelps, in previous generations, has been portrayed as a monster on the autism spectrum and has now been changed to a neurotypical character. 

Overall, the movie is a fun-filled musical that reintroduces us to the newer generation of the ghouls with more stories to come. The reboot appeals to the newer generation of children with its purpose being to have characters that they can identify with and relate to. It’s iclawnic, defrightful, and spooktacular. The ghouls that get it, get it.