Cranston Academy: Monster Zone: Film Review

Vocal cast: Jamie Bell, Ruby Rose, Idzi Dutkiewicz

Director: Leopoldo Aguilar

A fairly jolly romp, running at an unobtrusive and lean 85 minutes, Cranston Academy: Monster Zone will keep the kids amused for long enough - even if the adults find the animation somewhat wanting, and the story somewhat lacking.

Bell is Danny Dawkins, a genius student who's more in line for bullying at his school than for getting plaudits for his scientific edge. But when he's summoned to attend elite science school Cranston Academy on a full scholarship, his world is changed for the better.

However, Danny finds himself the outsider in the school, mocked for being part of a "pluck a child out of the academic gutter" programme by his teacher, and hated by his roommate Liz (Rose) who doesn't want him around.

When the pair team up for a class project, they inadvertently unlock a portal to another world that unleashes a clutch of monsters into their world...

Younger kids will enjoy Cranston Academy's array of critters when they finally show up - but adults will find themselves thinking they've seen a lot of it before in the form of Harry Potter, Professor Xavier's School for Gifted mutants and The Land Before Time.

It's genial and colourful enough, even if its leads are somewhat on the blander side of the character spectrum. The introduction of Idzi Dutkiewicz's Mothman, things take a step up for the more manic - and is a welcome touch.

Half human, half moth and with a desire to romance every single light he finds in the world, this Lothario Light Lover adds an element of zaniness with his Mexican mad rantings. 

It's here that the film distracts from its somewhat basic chunkier animated style, which in truth feels like something from a children's computer animated series like Brum rather than a more cohesive CGI film for audiences brought up on the likes of Dreamworks and Pixar.

But in truth, it sort of works fine - and while it's forgettable enough the moment it's ended, Cranston Academy's monster-filled hijinks will amuse when it needs to and will keep younger audiences enthralled thanks to the colours and occasional bouts of silliness.