Welcome To Monster High: where things sound worse than they are

[impy]

Let's get this out of the way, shall we? One of my favorite things about MH happens to be the exceptionally rich possibilities for flashbacks and backstory. The original MH drops us in when Frankie heads to MH and we catch up on everything along with her. When she learns a new thing, so do we. So while Frankie was never my favorite character, I appreciated the route they took. I loved that Clawdeen and Draculaura had been best friends for awhile. I loved Cleo/Clawd's backstory and how that led to Deuce and also the fued between Cleo/Clawdeen. Basically, I loved that you couldn't throw a rock in the school without hitting something that could, in the right hands, give you a good story. Maybe not movie length, but definitely a webisode's worth if they wanted.


This means, of course, that the reboot is going to start off at a serious disadvantage for me because it obliterates all the backstory. Monsters have been hiding, not just from humanity but from each other this whole time. Yawn. And now, now is the time when a couple of teenagers will start a revolutionary school and honestly, rehashing this is going to make me far more negative than I actually feel so I'll stop.
I'm not entirely sure whether or not this was a good idea for Mattel. Before you hit me with the declining doll sales and things, which I totally know and freak out about, in their exceptionally boring state of the company reports, they made repeated references to how well MH does online. So it's not the storylines that are necessarily tanking the line. I mean, introducing 11 billion new characters each movie is probably not helping, especially considering it'll take another three years for them to show up in another line (and it won't make sense when they do) or webisodes, if they ever do, and it's also been mentioned as a problem.

That said, it's pretty telling that the comments on the Welcome videos are always closed. That's not a good sign.


Anyway. If I handwave my irritation about my favorite thing in the line being chucked out the window, set ablaze, and then buried alive, I like the reboot movie well enough. I don't think even as a kid that I'd have been thrilled with Draculaura and Frankie starting the school because there's suspension of disbelief and then there's just no fucking way, and this falls under the latter.
But Draculaura is still adorable and they seem to have figured out a balance for her that's been missing for awhile. I've always liked Frankie's more mad science vibe and if not for my Ghoulia missing, I don't think I'd mind her being the brains. Hell, she can be the brains and when/if we get Ghoulia back, they can both be brains. The more the merrier, y'know?
Clawdeen's the only one of the original trio that might've taken a step backwards. But she might not have. With them seriously amping up Lagoona's sporty side (please don't let her be only the sporty one because holy crap is that boring as hell), Clawdeen seems to have fallen back on just her designing. But it's possible we just haven't seen her sportier side come out, so I haven't given up hope. I do wish that if they were going to push Clawdeen as a designer, she'd have more interesting outfits. Everyone's dance ensemble is pretty intricate and then you have Clawdeen's which... isn't. So I guess that means I buy she made it herself, only that seems like a cop out, y'know?
Cleo remains Cleo and even when everything else seemed just weird enough to make me wonder if I'd be better off just letting this whole thing go, Cleo was there to remind me some things never change.
I did like the way they kept throwing Cleo and Lagoona together, and Cleo's gonna need a friend within the group, and it looks like we're still going with the trio as a trio so that does leave Lagoona. Or Ari, but the movie kinda made it seem like it was a one-off. Obviously the webisodes say otherwise but we're trying to go with the movie at this point.

Love interest wise, with Frankie and Draculaura both not interested, Clawdeen got one. If everyone had been paired off, this would bug me more, but it's not like she's never show any interest before. And it seemed very Clawdeen to have her cut to the chase and ask him out, so thumbs up for that.
Cleo and Deuce are still cute, though I am ticked that we were robbed of the chance to meet any other parents aside from Clawdeen's mother and Dracula. ROBBED.

Speaking of Clawdeen's mother, where's Clawdeen's dad? Why is Clawdeen the only wolf of that age? Clearly the wolf siblings come in multiples, so... is she the only survivor of her group? Or did her parents split up after the last round of kids and for whatever reason Mom got all the younger ones and Clawdeen and Dad got the older ones? Or are there even younger siblings? Why are all the little ones boys? Why are you denying me Howleen? I NEED ANSWERS.

While we're on the parent side, I liked the Dracula/Draculaura dynamic although I do think someone hit it on the head when they compared it to Hotel Transylvania. I know, I know, overprotective fathers and flighty (ha) daughters are a thing as old as time, but still. It's a comparison they had to know people would make, which is kind of sad since MH came first.

This sounds just as negative as I feared it would but it's easier for me to go on and in further detail on the things I don't like versus the things I do. Cleo and Lagoona's friendship makes me happy and it's enough for me to say that, but then I feel I need to explain why I dislike something so things seem unbalanced even if my like for something more than outweighs my dislike for something.

I liked the movie. I liked the plot. Moanica's eyes are mesmermizing and the Zomboys cracked me up each time someone said it. Draculaura's adorable and I think I love her more. I'm curious as to why certain characters made the immediate cut (Why Venus? Is it because she looks so different and would stand out in a background, or have they finally figured out a way to work her in?) and why others haven't (so... Abbey is in the doll line but not in the movie?) and how they'll be worked in. I'm hoping some of my questions will be answered in time and I suppose I'll have to be patient (and learn to like the new webisode art).

I don't want the line to die, so I'm hoping the doll sales pick up and that Mattel figures out what they borked up in the line instead of depending on a reboot to fix everything. (Short answer, Mattel, since you didn't ask: basic ass dresses aren't your go-to for non-basic lines, don't rely too much on plastic crap, and don't skimp on accessories.) Oh, um... I also didn't end the movie wanting all the dolls tied to the movie. That, sadly, is a first. Even the movies I didn't really love made me want all the dolls at least temporarily. Not so much with this. Buuuuut it did remind me I need to get my Lagoonas and Cleos soon.


I will say that for most of the movie, I didn't sit there actively comparing things. I just enjoyed the ride. And when my DVD arrives, I'll be watching again.

So... what's the next movie?