Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Borget
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Animated video game adaptation has some scary moments.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild
What's the Story?
In MONSTER HUNTER: LEGENDS OF THE GUILD, humans and monsters live in an uneasy balance. A young aspiring monster hunter named Aiden (Dante Basco) tries to prove to his village and himself that he has what it takes to become a monster hunter. He encounters an Ace Hunter from the Guild named Julius (Brando Markus) who warns him of a migrating dragon destroying everything in its path. They work together to save Aiden's village from impending doom. Along the way, they form a mentor-mentee bond where Julius teaches Aiden the ways of the monster hunters and Aiden reminds Julius of what it really means to be a hunter. The pair team up with other characters who use their brains and brawn to outsmart the monsters and save the village.
Is It Any Good?
This action-packed fantasy film is surprisingly delightful. It serves an audience that might not be quite ready for Capcom's popular Monster Hunter video game franchise or the live-action Monster Hunter adaptation. It's thrilling and exciting, but not very gory (with purple monster guts, and a little red monster blood). With a strong emphasis on teamwork, characters have to learn to trust one another and face their past mistakes in order to move forward, grow, and ultimately solve their problems.
Though it's predictable at times, the movie has an encouraging message that even the youngest, least skilled people can play a part in helping others. With a runtime of 58 minutes, the movie feels like a long episode of a series. The story plays out as a flashback, with a cliffhanger that leads the viewer to believe that there's more to come.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Aiden's assumptions about being a monster hunter were different from the reality he learned from Julius. When have your expectations about something been different from what it was really like?
Have you played any of the Monster Hunter video games? How does this compare? What's something new you learned about the characters or monsters? Do you prefer one over the other?
Mae kept a journal to keep track of what she learned about different monster species as well as notes about her life. What types of data and notes would you want to collect in a journal?
Aiden not only learns from Julius but teaches him as well. What was Julius able to learn from the young hunter? What do you think are some things adults can learn from kids?
What character strengths and life skills are on display here?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 12, 2021
- Cast : Dante Basco , Erica Lindbeck , Caroline Caliston , Brando Eaton , Karen Strassman , Brian Beacock
- Director : Steven Yamamoto
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 58 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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