Film Review: ' the Munsters"

First let us consider what was the last movie Rob Zombie did that was worth a shit? Well "31" was entertaining, but not the greatest if we are not measuring it against other b-grade straight to video/ streaming standards. That would make "Halloween 2' the last movie really worth watching, and that is being generous. Up until this point at least his movies looked good and gave enough wink at Grindhouse horror to make it worthwhile.  With adapting the Munsters, you would think since one of his biggest radio hit songs was about their race car Dragula, that Zombie would protect the legacy of the television show in making, what amounts to a prequel. Instead, what we got was Zombie taking a piss on it with something that has the production quality of a Six-Flags Halloween commercial. There are yard props that you can buy at Spirit Halloween that looks better than what he made here. 

While I appreciate the lighting and the vivid colors, that is the only redeeming aspect of this garbage. Richard Brake is really the only actor who tried with his Vincent Price impersonation. Sheri Moon, acted like Elvira, who was ironically also in the movie but not acting like herself. Then the rest of the cast camped it up to the point beyond cheese making every interaction painfully awkward. When you go back and watch the original sitcom, it is clear Fred Gwynne was a closet queen, which was not uncommon with Hollywood actors back in 1964. But even then, his acting is far superior to anything that happens here. The script was cumbersome and seems like it was written by a child. Speaking of children how Eddie Munster was not included even as a bundle of fur, is a testament to how the pacing and plot were poorly mapped out. 

It is hard to really sum up my thoughts after watching something that bad. It was so bad it was funny in places where it was not trying too hard to be funny, much like one of Herman's stand-up routines. While those types of jokes were in the original show, they were delivered much better. Zombie should have taken notes from Tim Burton's reboot of "the Addams Family' as to how to take creative license and still pay proper respect for the source material. Instead, we got a piece of trash that I found myself having to endure rather than enjoy and makes me hope this is the last film Zombie is allowed by the studios to make.