Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet cross-cultural holiday special celebrates inclusivity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Super Monsters: Vida's First Halloween
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SUPER MONSTERS: VIDA'S FIRST HALLOWEEN, the Super Monsters get ready for their favorite spooky holiday, and Vida (voiced by Gigi Saul Guerrero) is a little nervous about celebrating her first Halloween. Her friends fill her in on all the best traditions of the special night -- trick-or-treating, jack-o'-lanterns, costumes -- before they head out to do some candy gathering of their own. Then it's back to Vida's house so she and her abuelita (Maria J. Cruz) can share her family's Día de los Muertos tradition with her friends as well.
Is It Any Good?
This Halloween special is as sweet as the candy the Monsters rake in as they make the rounds of their neighbors' houses. Vida starts the evening with a lot of anxiety about trying something so new to her, an emotion that will be familiar to many youngsters watching. Rather than make her feel awkward about it, her friends practice kindness and offer to help her through the night at a pace that's comfortable for her. In return, she introduces them to something else new in sharing her family's cultural celebration with them.
Super Monsters: Vida's First Halloween is a fun lesson in inclusivity at young kids' attention level, and it exposes those unfamiliar with the Day of the Dead traditions to them in kid-friendly, entirely non-scary ways. Even the concept of remembering loved ones and feeling sad about their passing is addressed briefly between young friends and as Vida's family celebrates the legacy of her Abuelito with some of his favorite traditions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Vida and her family honor their cultural traditions while embracing new ones in a new place. How do her friends help her bridge the gap between what she's used to and what she experiences in her new home? What special traditions does your family enjoy around the holidays?
In what ways do the Super Monsters make an effort to help Vida acclimate and feel like she belongs? Kids: Have you ever felt like an outsider in a new place? If so, does knowing how it feels make you more inclined to show compassion to others in a similar situation?
How does Super Monsters make characters that are traditionally scary seem less so with bright colors and animation? Are there any aspects of Halloween and/or Día de los Muertos celebrations that your kid finds frightening? How are they presented in Super Monsters: Vida's First Halloween?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 5, 2019
- Cast: Alessandro Juliani , Gigi Saul Guerrero , Maria J. Cruz
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Friendship , Holidays , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 24 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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