Based on Jill Thompson's graphic novels, this 47-minute Cartoon Network offering follows the travails of young Hannah Marie, who is tagging along with her older cousin and his friends on Halloween night. They meet for tric... more »k-or-treating at a graveyard, where the big kids devise a plan to scare the little cousin so they can ditch her. Like most mean-spirited schemes in children's entertainment, it backfires with a vengeance. In this case, young Hannah in her fairy princess costume is rescued by the titular Scary Godmother and spirited off to the Fright Side, where she attends a Halloween party with a show-tune-singing skeleton, a gluttonous werewolf, a vampire family, and--most scarily--a many-eyed monster. The youngster overcomes her fears, and the spooksters return to the scene of the big kids' crime to exact scary revenge. Fright content depends entirely on an individual child's reactions to Halloween familiars. (Ages 4 to 12) --Kimberly Heinrichs« less
E K Maxmias | Close enough to Detroit! | 09/23/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Since Halloween is my fovorite Holiday, I could not resist buying this DVD for me, and my kids. I had not previously seen this made-for-TV special, but found it for such a reasonable price, I took the plunge. In hindsight, a good move. Here is a list of my thoughts as they spill from my gooey BRAIN!!...
-Why 4 stars? The CGI is a little crude (when compared to other TV CGI productions). I'm being a little picky, but I found it a distraction to see ocassional surfaces protrude through things unintentionally (Head through hare) and unatural motion for human characters (a bit "floaty").
-The story is near perfect. It captures the Halloween spirit we all remember as kids. All FUN with a hint of SCARE!!
-Some references will become dated with time (I'm a rich baseball player in an SUV") but overall, it's not too trendy.
-I got a little tired of the "Wolfman being hungry" gag. The vampire family, on the other hand, epitomize funny scares.
-This DVD is extras free. A bit dissapointing but not a show stopper.
-Color is spectacular. All the greens, oranges, blacks, reds and purples you wish Halloween shows would display.
-Dispite the nit-picking, I really fell in love with this as a holiday regular. It will be a tradition in our house.
-Some of the dialogue was ill timed and poorly paced, but the voices were spot-on. Truly appealing characters all around.
-Definitely a few lessons for kids to learn from this adventure. "Consequences" certainly a key point. Also "judging a book by it's cover", "don't believe everything you're told" and being responsible, are hammered home while enhancing the story. No small accomplishment.
-The soundtrack is "Shock-n-roll" alla "The Munsters Theme". Actually pretty cool!
In a nutshell, other than a few technical "gliches" and some timing flaws (at least I thought so), you can't go wrong with this Halloween "Spook-tacular", especially if you have pre-teens, though I really enjoyed it myself."
Fun for All Ages
Jill Thompson | Chicago, Il USA | 09/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's a great pleasure to be able to introduce audiences everywhere to my cast of creatures. Check out the holiday special which was adapted from the successful stage play, which in turn was based on my collective graphic novels and comics!
Follow the story of Hannah Marie on Halloween night. Ditched in the abandoned house on Halloween Night while trying to fit in with the big kids, Hannah meets her Scary Godmother, the Ambassador to all that is Spooky. Join her as she travels to the Fright Side and meets a cadre of Creatures That Go Bump in the Night-- like Harry the Werewolf, Skully Pettibone, the Skeleton in the Closet , the Vampire Family and Bug-A-Boo, the Monster Under the Bed, and conquers her fears.
Heartily endorsed by ages three to eighty three, the holiday special is good for the whole family.
Gothic moms and soccer moms alike give two thumbs up to The Scary Godmother Holiday Spooktakular.
Make it your pre-trick or treat tradition!
Creepy and Kooky, Shreiky and Spooky, not Gory or Gross, this Special emphasizes the value of not being afraid of what you don't know and being true to yourself.
Animation fans will delight in the beautifully rendered cgi and comic fans will appreciate the true to source characterization!
Try it! You'll like it!
"
Halloween Magic from Jill Thompson
Uncle Boris | Altamonte Springs, FL United States | 06/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a huge fan of Jill Thompson and her wonderful 'Scary Godmother' series of books and comics, and I've owned the Canadian edition of this DVD since it became available earlier this year. This special is essentially the first SG book with some plot elements from later stories thrown in. It's very faithful to the spirit and style of the books, and I would consider it a new seasonal classic, great for kids of all ages at Halloween or any time!"
Not Just For Kids!
Sandi | Clarksburg, WV United States | 08/14/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Young Hannah Marie's best friends live in the spooky town of Fright Side, a place filled with vampires, werewolves, and other ghouls where it is perpetually Halloween. It's definitely a scary place, but luckily she has her Scary Godmother--an only slightly eerie guardian--to help her through! With this home video release, which is ideal for any time of year, eye-catching computer animation is used to bring to life the beloved series of children's books by Jill Thompson. Grown ups will love it as much as kids."
Making Merry on Halloween
Crystal Leigh | 06/05/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love the Scary Godmother characters ,stories,and theme,because they're creative. I own this DVD and many of the books,etc. for this reason,but not only for this reason. The "animation" isn't the general cartoon type from tv,and is more lifelike in many ways.
A young child going trick or treating for the very first time in the care of her naughty older cousin faces fear in the eye innocently bringing Scary Godmother ,the Queen of Halloween,to her aid.
After meeting a monster who hides under beds,vampire children that go to school at night and more at Scary Godmother's party,
Scary Godmother decides to teach the child's cousin a lesson which is no picnic for him or his friends.
Although I like the book "Scary Godmother" better,this DVD adds characters from other Scary Godmother stories such as Harry,the lazy werewolf. I recommend it for all ages.