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The Monster Squad

(1987, Rated PG-13, Horror, Starring Tom Noonan, Michael Faustino, Andre Gower)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Goofy monster mash with a touch of negative 'tude.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Boys call one another "faggot" as a menacing insult. Sean says a teacher was "fully homo-ing out." Horace is bullied for being fat, and several kids call him Fat Kid. Sean tells Phoebe, when she insists on membership in the all-boy monster squad, that she's creating "reverse discrimination."

  • Violence:

    Considerable cartoonish violence: vampires are staked in the heart, a mummy comes unraveled, the Wolfman is blown apart repeatedly and puts himself together again, kids get beat up and threatened by bullies and monsters, Gill Man crushes a man's head, people and monsters are shot at, a hearse driver and police officer are killed.

  • Sex:

    Rudy uses binoculars to stair at a girl through her window. She's shown in various states of undress. It's implied that Frankenstein accidentally snaps a picture of her naked. Lots of talk about whether a girl is a virgin.

  • Language:

    Some swearing, mostly by kids, including "asshole," "son of a bitch," "holy s--t," "hell," "godamn," "tits," "chicken-s--t," and "bitch" (said to a little girl).

  • Consumerism:

    Kids drink Pepsi, talk about Twinkies and Burger King, and visit Fox photos.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Rudy, who is in middle school, is the cool kid who also smokes cigarettes. Sean's dad smokes. Rudy drinks a beer.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Monster Squad

Parents need to know that while most of the movie is good Scooby-Doo-style fun, it also has an undercurrent of intolerance. In addition to Dracula and the Wolfman, the movie sets up the boogeymen of the day: gay men, fat people, and girls who want to be included in a boys club. There's also lots of cartoonish violence that, while completely unrealistic, is likely to scare younger kids. Sean's parents are also going to a marriage counselor and fight loudly where Sean can hear them. And while Rudy protects Horace from getting bullied, he's also not someone to look up to -- he drinks and smokes. The kids also swear quite a bit and call their teacher and other kids "faggot."

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about cartoonish violence vs. the real thing. How do you differentiate the two? What makes the cartoonish kind fun to watch in this movie?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Napkap
    I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    A Strange Family Horror Film

    The film tries to cross a family film with a horror film. They do it very well, with the gore plentiful enough to keep horror fans watching, but not so much that parents won't approve. The monster effects are beautiful, and it is a very entertaining film.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Parent Reviewer
    JamesRobertson
    Lives in Iowa
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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