A solid family Halloween movie is always a winner. The likes of Goosebumps and A Series Of Unfortunate Events have been huge successes and so following on from these comes A Babysitter's Guide To Monster Hunting. The first thing to remember about this film is that it is for kids! Even then, it's probably for older kids as there are a few jumps and scares that might not be suitable for little ones.
So now that we know we are dealing with a kids or family movie, what is it all about? The lead character is Kelly Ferguson. A very smart girl, her plans to head to a Halloween party are scuppered when her mother volunteers her to babysit her boss's son, Jacob. With some pretty strict rules to follow, all is going well until the monster toads appear and kidnap Jacob for the Boogeyman.
As Kelly (Tamara Smart) decides to go after the toads, she is met by Liz LeRue, a monster hunter. Together with Berna, Cassie, and Curtis, they know everything there is about catching monsters. Soon the five intrepid teenagers are entering the world of monsters where Jacob is being held captive. Can they rescue him in time to get him home? Can they defeat the Grand Guignol (Tom Felton)?
Of course, there's more to the movie than just that simple premise. That's what gives it a little more depth. Tom Felton is suitably creepy as the Boogeyman and the effects of the monster world are quite good. There's plenty to like about the movie and it works for all the family, despite its predictable ending. Then again, it's for kids so that was always going to happen.
A Babysitter's Guide To Monster Hunting is based on a trilogy of books by Joe Ballarini, who also wrote the movie. So expect a second one to be announced as there were plenty of loose-endings and monsters that still need to be dealt with. Overall a decent family horror movie with lots of jumps and scares for kids.
