Movie Review: "My Babysitter's a Vampire"

Rated: TV-PG
Starring: Vanessa Morgan, Matthew Knight, and Atticus Dean Mitchell
Released: 2011

Synopsis: Longtime best friends Ethan (Matthew Knight) and Benny (Atticus Dean Mitchell) are eagerly awaiting the first day of high school; they're ready to shed their geeky image and become cool.  When a mishap leads to Ethan's eight-year-old sister nearly being killed, his parents hire a babysitter.  On her first night at Ethan's house, Sarah (Vanessa Morgan, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars) reveals that she herself is a fledgling vampire...and that many kids in town will likely become vampires as well unless Sarah, Ethan, and Benny stop them.  With the fate of the entire town--and the entire planet--at stake, the three kids have no choice but to put their lives on the line to stop the vampires' evil plans...but, will that be enough?
The genesis of a Disney Channel series.

The Good: I'm not usually one for stories such as this, but, I do have to complement the makers on a job well done.  The actors all did well, the plot was gripping, and the special effects were better than usual for a telefilm.  All of the heroes show resourcefulness in their fight against the vampires.  With a nice rock soundtrack, and some restraint in the areas of violence, this made for a good film.

The Bad: Other than the content concerns--see below--there wasn't too much to complain about here.  There were some times, however, that the closed captioner didn't seem to understand what was going on.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: Flirting, and a guy is called a "perv". 4/5
• Nudity: Part of a girl's back is seen. 4.5/5
• Language: Usage of slang terms such as "butt" and "perv".  A song in the soundtrack misuses God's name. 3.5/5
• Violence: Plenty of fantasy violence.  People are bitten by vampires, though that is mostly implied; all we see is the slightly bloody bite marks.  Vampires are impaled, electrocuted, and melted by holy water.  One character disintegrates. 2/5
• Drugs: One brief generic reference. 4.5/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: Though this may be a Disney Channel production, it's likely too much for little kids.  The vampires are freaky, and the mood is very dark throughout.  You may want to screen this before showing it to your child. 1/5
• Other: Parents and other adults are lied to and defied.  A woman is described as a sorceress of a sort, and she hands some kids a spell book.  Also, a Twilight-esque movie franchise is referenced, and an eight-year-old is seen watching it. 2/5

Conclusion: I'm a longtime fan of the Disney Channel, but, I was bit hesitant to get into this show because of its themes; vampires are just not my thing.  Still, this movie kept things rather cute and innocent, and the movie was rather enjoyable as a result.  I have the first season on iTunes as well; I'm now curious to check it out!

Score: 4/5