Starring - Sheri Moon Zombie (Halloween, Lords of Salem), Jeff Daniel Phillips (Freaks of Nature, Westworld), and Daniel Roebuck (Matlock, Bubba Ho-Tep)
Release Date - 2022
Genre - Comedy/Horror
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
It's cool to hate certain filmmakers. People love to hate specific directors for no real reason and that has become apparent when musician and director Rob Zombie announced his own spin on the classic series The Munsters. So called fans went absolutely bat shit crazy over the news. People that probably haven't seen a single episode in decades were up in arms stating he was going to ruin their favorite show and so on. I dig Zombie's films with the exception of Halloween II but that didn't stop me from wanting to check out his take on The Munsters. When I received the press release for the physical release of the film I was quick to reach out to request a review copy. Once it arrived I was ready to toss it in and watch it with my family.
The film follows love struck Lilly who is smitten with a comedian that is pieced together by a brilliant scientist. Her father doesn't like Herman and wants the two to split but soon comes to terms with it when they become engaged. The three are tossed out of their castle when Lilly's husband Herman is scammed by her brother. The three then move to the U.S. and find themselves as the odd balls out when they realize their neighbors are normal people and not monsters.
Rob Zombie's The Munsters is something new for fans while keeping the same style of humor in tact. While it looked and felt like a few of the colorized episodes it also had a unique look that came from Zombie and his team which reminded me a lot of the web-series The Ghouligans. I'm not saying it's a perfect origin story for the classic series but it is a fun film that not only fans of The Munsters, but fans of Rob Zombie, will enjoy. The acting in this one reminded me a lot of the show. Sure, they don't really look like the originals and their voices are nothing like the source material but their mannerisms and personalities are damn near spot on. Most critics of Zombie often criticize his use of his wife but I really liked her as Lilly. She had the hand movements and expressions down damn near perfectly. There was several times during the film's run time that I was impressed by how she was channeling her inner Yvone De Carlo. Jeff Daniel Phillips was a decent Herman. He tries hard to capture the character made famous by the late Fred Gwynn but there were a few times where it came off as cheap and forced instead of authentic. With that being said, I absolutely loved Daniel Roebuck as Grandpa. He absolutely nails the sarcasm and cynicism of the original Grandpa while giving us a new look with homages to the original. The supporting cast is decent but these three are the obvious focus of the film. The story for this one is a bit messy but had it's heart in the right place. It was cool to have an origin story but the film feels like it was filmed in pieces and then edited together. It does look a bit rough at times and not very consistent but it is still able to hold your attention if you give it a chance. We get a lot of character development but a lot of the film felt like it was filmed in waves. This could have been due to writing issues or filming issues in a post-pandemic world. A little more polish, editing, and smooth writing would have gone a long way. Finally, the film showcases a lot of campy make-up effects that I really liked. It was similar to what you would see in the television series which is something I really enjoyed. It's not a bloody film but if you are in the mood for campy mummies, zombies, vampires, and werewolves then you will enjoy this one. Overall, The Munsters is going to be hated because hating Rob Zombie is cool I guess. However, I enjoyed it and it did a fantastic job at bringing these classic characters into 2022. It's fun if you don't have a stick up your ass. Check it out on Netflix or rush to the comments and tell me about how I was paid to write this review.
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