Running Time: 109 Minutes
Certification: PG
Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Daniel Roebuck, Richard Brake, Jorge Garcia, Sylvester McCoy, Catherine Schell, Cassandra Peterson
Considering his filmmaking career, Rob Zombie is not someone expected to make a PG-rated film, yet he's done that with a cinematic take on The Munsters. Stepping away from more mean-spirited fare, he instead adheres to a spirit established by the 1960s TV series to create an origin story for the titular family.
Intending to create a Frankenstein-style specimen, two grave-robbers (Richard Brake & Jorge Garcia) are left with acquiring the head of a recently deceased genius. A mix-up results in a hacky comedian's head being stolen instead, leaving the specimen named Herman Munster (Jeff Daniel Phillips) to perform stand-up comedy to his mad-scientist creator's disgust. Lovelorn vampire Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie) falls for Herman, although her father The Count (Daniel Roebuck) disapproves of him.
Zombie attempts to make a hang-out movie with these classic characters, focusing on monster vibes as they honeymoon in Paris and visit Transylvania's monster community. This clashes with a lacking plot involving an ex-wife of The Count trying to take his home, as neither element can sustain the overlong runtime which drains the viewers interest.
While Zombie couldn't replicate the original show's black and white look, replacing it are day-glo colours which give this film an identity of its own. It sticks in the mind more effectively than the pedestrian writing or the questionable performances given behind decent make-up. As such, this passion project resembles a forgettable CBBC show crossed with a stilted take on What We Do In The Shadows.
The Munsters is available on Blu-Ray and DVD from 9th January
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