Movie Review: "Girl Vs. Monster"

Rated: TV-PG
Starring: Olivia Holt, Luke Benward, Kerris Dorsey, Brendan Meyer, Tracy Dawson, and Katherine McNamara
Released: October 12, 2012 (Disney Channel premiere)

Synopsis
Skylar "Sky" Lewis (Olivia Holt, Kickin' It) is a girl who knows no fear; nothing at all scares her.  It's Halloween, and she is determined to go to a costume party, but her parents won't let her, going as far as turning on the security system to make sure she doesn't leave.  Thinking they're simply being overprotective, Skylar turns off the power in order to escape...and inadvertently lets out a monster (Tracy Dawson) that terrorizes the neighborhood! What Skylar doesn't know is that her parents aren't just mere exterminators; they're monster hunters, and, on Halloween, she would just be a mere target.  Skylar's destiny is to continue that legacy...but, fear is coming upon her all of a sudden, and her friends (Brendan Meyer and Kerris Dorsey) are as scared stiff as she is! Will Sky be able to stop the monster and save the neighborhood, her friends, her parents, and her crush (Luke Benward, Cloud 9)?
As seen on the Disney Channel.

The Good
Even though the plot may sound dumb on paper, the cast and crew makes it work quite well here.  The actors all do very well, and the soundtrack features some great performances by Olivia Holt and Luke Benward; one of those renditions is the best musical scene I've seen in a movie since the cast of Ella Enchanted did Elton John's "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart".  Olivia Holt herself is as lovely as ever, and positive moral elements--mainly courage in the face of fear--abound.

The Bad
Though the plot works, it may run too close to occultism for some discerning viewers.  The main monster not only floats around like a ghost, but also possesses people, much like a demon.  Even if that doesn't bother you, the dark scenes and creepy moments may be too much for young children.  If you have a kid who is easily frightened, you may want to skip this; it's rated "TV-PG" for a reason.

Conclusion
Though I'm not much for Halloween, this is the second movie based around the ghoulish holiday that I've watched this year; the first was Halloweentown, another DCOM (that is, Disney Channel Original Movie).  I actually liked this one a lot better...but, it's still no favorite of mine.  Still, for those who enjoy movies like this, you could do a lot worse.

Score: 3.5/5