Monster Family 2: Nobody's Perfect
Monster Family 2: Nobody's Perfect
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Monster Family 2 is the sequel to 2018's Monster Family and features more slapstick action and mild threat. The movie is full of well-recognized monsters, with the family of main character, Max (voiced by Ethan Rouse), made up of a werewolf, vampire, Frankenstein's monster, and a mummy. The movie's action scenes are largely played for laughs, although sometimes with a hint of peril. These include a run-in with an angry yeti and a character trying to kill a girl by pulling off her flying backpack. During the movie, Max meets his nemesis, Mila (Emily Carey). She is a young girl collecting mythical creatures for her parents. But after completing her missions, her parents order her to be killed. Max is bullied online and in real life, with the intention being to show that nobody is perfect and that's OK. But the message feels forced, amid a messy and sometimes mean-spirited story.
Community Reviews
Skip it, anything else you do with your time is better than this movie.
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Boring...
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What's the Story?
In MONSTER FAMILY 2, part-time werewolf Max (voiced by Ethan Rouse) and his family try to save some mythical creatures from a mysterious girl who is under orders from her seemingly perfect parents.
Is It Any Good?
As a Halloween movie, this animated family comedy is frightfully bad. While kids' monster movie series Hotel Transylvania reveled in having a legacy of mythical creatures to play with, Monster Family 2 does nothing with its cast of characters. The messy, convoluted plot would make just as much sense without a family made up of a wolfboy, a vampire, a mummy, and Frankenstein's monster. By the time they're in the space dome and a clone is trying to kill a young girl by ripping off her jetpack, it's clear how little importance the monster aspect has.
All this would be fine were the movie not such hard work. It's a hollow experience, despite it ticking the right boxes with attempts at positive messages and a happy ending. The snarky but entirely laugh-free script is performed adequately by its star-studded cast (bar Nick Frost, whose monster only says "ooftah" for almost the entire movie). While the lifeless spirit that haunts each frame is apt for a movie with so many members of the undead. Thanks to its by-numbers animation and soulless approach, Monster Family 2 is unappealing, boring, and with less peril than an episode of Paw Patrol.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the slapstick violence in Monster Family 2. How do you know when something "violent" is meant to be funny and not scary or real?
Discuss the Starr parents and their belief that perfection is the only thing that matters. Why is it OK to make mistakes? Can you think of a time when you've learned something from a mistake you made?
If you enjoy watching monsters, what is your favorite spooky movie or story? Why do you think it's sometimes fun to watch scary things? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?
The movie features a number of mythical creatures. Had you heard of the Loch Ness monster and a yeti before you watched the movie? What other mythical beasts do you know about? Are there any local myths from where you're from?
How did this sequel compare with the first movie? What other sequels have you seen? What's your favorite?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 15, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: January 4, 2022
- Cast: Ethan Rouse, Nick Frost, Emily Watson
- Director: Holger Tappe
- Studio: Viva Pictures
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: action/peril, some rude humor and thematic elements
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
Monsters vs. Aliens
Homage to '50s alien flicks too intense for youngest kids.
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Monsters, Inc.
Cute, kid-friendly monster movie; may scare sensitive kids.
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Hotel Transylvania
Father-daughter comedy works as intro to monster movies.
For kids who love monsters
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