Monster High Double Feature: Friday Night Frights/Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love?

Based on the popular line of Mattel fashion dolls, this animated double feature follows a group of high-school characters based on teenage versions of Universal Studios spook staples, with names like Draculaura and Frankie Stein. Full of puns—with regular exclamations of "you're fangtastic!" or "oh my ghoul!"—the horror angle is played here for laughs, although some moments of mild violence and menace could frighten younger children. These stick-thin monster teens with long, glossy locks and short skirts love girl power slogans, but their constant preening and obsessing over boys delivers a mixed message. Friday Night Frights finds the girls forming the first all-female Skultimate Roller Maze roller derby team, although they don't make much progress until a wolfman-style boyfriend steps in as coach and whips the group into shape. Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? follows the same wolf boy as he competes with Draculaura's evil ex for her heart. The coffin-shaped smart phones and winks to famous ghoulish characters can be fun, but this is ultimately fluff, serving up empty statements like "Real beats fake any day of the week." On the other hand, the Monster High dolls are massively popular, so consider this a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (K. Cruver)