Oh wow, only one comment thus far? Honestly, I expected this movie to have a cult following and have near a hundred posts by now. I suppose though, like you mentioned, it didn’t really get the recognition it deserved back when it was created, and perhaps this forum is merely slow to also give it its justification.
now it’s by no means a perfect movie, however when I saw it as a kid.. hmm let me think; 1987.. so I was 7. I enjoyed it. It kind of scared me, but I kept coming back to it whenever it aired on HBO (or any other movie channel).
I found the humor to be good – not over done, but also not underplayed. It has a good feel to it. Also I will agree that they faithfully reconstructed the monsters for this movie. I won’t say that the plot is solid – it’s rather silly actually. I few kids ban together and defeat some of the most famous monsters of all time, and at the end just say “we’re the monster squad” as the credits roll.. but I suppose it’s a Guilty Pleasure, much like watching the first “Turtles” movie.
It leaves you with a good feeling after watching it.
Now I hear there will be a remake, in 2011. According to IMDB, it’s “in development”. But I won’t hold my breath. This movie is one that I need to buy on DVD for my collection of early child hood classics. It’s just ‘good’, by any standard.
I don’t know how it holds up, today; I’ve not watched it in almost 18 years, but I would imagine I will still enjoy it. Thank you James, for sharing your thoughts on this movie that riddled my childhood with good memories of a good movie..
now is this movie a “good movie”, or merely a “good ‘B’ movie”? I don’t know if you would call it a “B” movie, but surely there are enough moments to make you wonder, like the “nards” line. But it doesn’t come off (at least to me) as a “B” flick; I think the makers were honestly trying to do something different with a serious/humor balance.
xenxander I agree with every single word you said. I bought the 2disc DvD and its awesome. So many special features and if you are big fan of the movie like you said, I know you will be happy when you get the DvD. As for the remake, I really don’t know about that. I haven’t heard or read anything about a remake but now knowing that there might be one, guess I’m gonna have to look up some info on that. BUT…again a remake of one of the greatest movies ever made, they will have a lot to do to make it as good as the original, which I won’t hold my breathe but hey you never know.
The Monster Squad actually started as a Saturday morning live action show………..With all the same monsters but a different story. All the monsters were detectives. The movie took the name and added all the monsters but not the same story. I love this movie by the way.
I own this movie on DVD. This is one of my childhood fav’s. I love this movie. I forgot about it for like 13 years then I was sufeing the web one day and came up on it. Thats when it all came back and i had to get it. Keep the video’s coming man.
Never passed up a chance to watch this movie whenever it was on the TV. Did I rent it, once? I kind of forget, but I think that I did.
My favorite monster in the film was always the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I’d always feel sorry for it before that one line would come up: “My name, is Horace!” However, they all felt so… impactful in their own way, as to be expected, but it wasn’t cheesy at all to see the monsters interact together, either.
Indeed, after the movie would end, I would always walk away feeling good after watching it, but wanting more before the credits roll. The movie must have been so entertaining, time would fly by very fast.
I watched this movie countless times as a kid. I loved it! I haven’t seen it since and until now had forgotten about it. I have got to find this movie for my collection now. Monster squad is now on the top of my list of movies I loved as a kid that I do not have.
James said it best when he said this movie was fun. It is! It really reminds me of Gremlins in that it’s intended to scare you with monsters, but you end up laughing and enjoying the show rather than being frightened.
It has a very 80′s feel to it too, which I love. Anyone remember a youth magazine called “3 2 1 Contact”? There was a segment in there called The Bloodhound Gang, and this film always reminded me of that.
This was definitely one of my biggest childhood movies!
And it’s still watchable! Though the 80s-ness dates it, the story and the acting and the scary settings are timeless, and still funny and dramatic!
Hey James, since you did such a great review of The Monster Squad, how about reviewing that other Fred Dekker classic, Night of the Creeps, in one of your future Monster Madness reviews? It was originally released in 1986 and is available on DVD and Blu Ray.
Like Anthony mentioned above the movie is by Fred Dekker, who also did Night of the Creeps, these two movies have been my favs since a kid. Creeps is one of the best zombie movies ive ever seen, and thats alot. And Monster Squad is just a classic, with all our fav classic monsters. Dekker was the man, hated to see that his career didnt take off after these films, but like so many of the 80s, many are just now getting the credit they deserve.
Seems like an interesting movie. I have one issue id like to address with this review. In this review you explain that a werewolf or wolfman can only be killed by a silver BULLET, and even go so far as to provide an illustration to further cement your point. Normally i wouldnt have a problem with this except you already covered the classic Lon Chaney Jr film “The Wolfman” at #8 on this countdown. Anyone who has seen this film knows that the wolfman is killed not by being shot by a silver BULLET, but rather it is bludgeoned to death by a cane topped with a HEAD made of silver. A werewolfs weakness is silver itself. It doesnt matter what form it is in. Like i said before i normally wouldnt have thought much of it but with the extra illustration of a picture of a gun and bullet it makes me wonder. You seem to have a real knowledge of all the classic movies so it makes me curious how a mistake like this got through. Or hell maybe im completely wrong. Either way i gave my two cents.
{Great|Wonderful|Fantastic|Magnificent|Excellent} beat ! I {wish to|would like to} apprentice while you amend your {site|web site|website}, how {can|could} i subscribe for a blog {site|web site|website}? The account {aided|helped} me a acceptable dea…
I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this one these days…..
Haven’t seen this one but Van Helsing was awesome!
Oh wow, only one comment thus far? Honestly, I expected this movie to have a cult following and have near a hundred posts by now. I suppose though, like you mentioned, it didn’t really get the recognition it deserved back when it was created, and perhaps this forum is merely slow to also give it its justification.
now it’s by no means a perfect movie, however when I saw it as a kid.. hmm let me think; 1987.. so I was 7. I enjoyed it. It kind of scared me, but I kept coming back to it whenever it aired on HBO (or any other movie channel).
I found the humor to be good – not over done, but also not underplayed. It has a good feel to it. Also I will agree that they faithfully reconstructed the monsters for this movie. I won’t say that the plot is solid – it’s rather silly actually. I few kids ban together and defeat some of the most famous monsters of all time, and at the end just say “we’re the monster squad” as the credits roll.. but I suppose it’s a Guilty Pleasure, much like watching the first “Turtles” movie.
It leaves you with a good feeling after watching it.
Now I hear there will be a remake, in 2011. According to IMDB, it’s “in development”. But I won’t hold my breath. This movie is one that I need to buy on DVD for my collection of early child hood classics. It’s just ‘good’, by any standard.
I don’t know how it holds up, today; I’ve not watched it in almost 18 years, but I would imagine I will still enjoy it. Thank you James, for sharing your thoughts on this movie that riddled my childhood with good memories of a good movie..
now is this movie a “good movie”, or merely a “good ‘B’ movie”? I don’t know if you would call it a “B” movie, but surely there are enough moments to make you wonder, like the “nards” line. But it doesn’t come off (at least to me) as a “B” flick; I think the makers were honestly trying to do something different with a serious/humor balance.
xenxander I agree with every single word you said. I bought the 2disc DvD and its awesome. So many special features and if you are big fan of the movie like you said, I know you will be happy when you get the DvD. As for the remake, I really don’t know about that. I haven’t heard or read anything about a remake but now knowing that there might be one, guess I’m gonna have to look up some info on that. BUT…again a remake of one of the greatest movies ever made, they will have a lot to do to make it as good as the original, which I won’t hold my breathe but hey you never know.
The Monster Squad actually started as a Saturday morning live action show………..With all the same monsters but a different story. All the monsters were detectives. The movie took the name and added all the monsters but not the same story. I love this movie by the way.
I own this movie on DVD. This is one of my childhood fav’s. I love this movie. I forgot about it for like 13 years then I was sufeing the web one day and came up on it. Thats when it all came back and i had to get it. Keep the video’s coming man.
This is the only “horror” movie my mom would let me watch as a kid.
Along with xenxander i also heard that there’s going to be a remake done by Michael bay. and it’s coming out in 2012
The Monster Squad (2012)
A group of kids realize that Dracula, Frankenstein, and other monsters have a plot to take over the world.
Dir: Rob Cohen
Why do so much remakes.
This movie has a special place in my heart.
This movie proved to me that the classic monsters were the best. Wolfman does indeed have nards!
Never watched this movie i think am going to give it a try
Never passed up a chance to watch this movie whenever it was on the TV. Did I rent it, once? I kind of forget, but I think that I did.
My favorite monster in the film was always the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I’d always feel sorry for it before that one line would come up: “My name, is Horace!” However, they all felt so… impactful in their own way, as to be expected, but it wasn’t cheesy at all to see the monsters interact together, either.
Indeed, after the movie would end, I would always walk away feeling good after watching it, but wanting more before the credits roll. The movie must have been so entertaining, time would fly by very fast.
I watched this movie countless times as a kid. I loved it! I haven’t seen it since and until now had forgotten about it. I have got to find this movie for my collection now. Monster squad is now on the top of my list of movies I loved as a kid that I do not have.
James said it best when he said this movie was fun. It is! It really reminds me of Gremlins in that it’s intended to scare you with monsters, but you end up laughing and enjoying the show rather than being frightened.
It has a very 80′s feel to it too, which I love. Anyone remember a youth magazine called “3 2 1 Contact”? There was a segment in there called The Bloodhound Gang, and this film always reminded me of that.
Best movie EVER MADE!!!
This was definitely one of my biggest childhood movies!
And it’s still watchable! Though the 80s-ness dates it, the story and the acting and the scary settings are timeless, and still funny and dramatic!
oh man I loved this movie as a kid! Haven’t seen it in ages thanks for bringin back some good ol memories
Hey James, since you did such a great review of The Monster Squad, how about reviewing that other Fred Dekker classic, Night of the Creeps, in one of your future Monster Madness reviews? It was originally released in 1986 and is available on DVD and Blu Ray.
Like Anthony mentioned above the movie is by Fred Dekker, who also did Night of the Creeps, these two movies have been my favs since a kid. Creeps is one of the best zombie movies ive ever seen, and thats alot. And Monster Squad is just a classic, with all our fav classic monsters. Dekker was the man, hated to see that his career didnt take off after these films, but like so many of the 80s, many are just now getting the credit they deserve.
when i was three my uncle gave me all of the black and white movies and monster spaude was one of them and it was my fav
Seems like an interesting movie. I have one issue id like to address with this review. In this review you explain that a werewolf or wolfman can only be killed by a silver BULLET, and even go so far as to provide an illustration to further cement your point. Normally i wouldnt have a problem with this except you already covered the classic Lon Chaney Jr film “The Wolfman” at #8 on this countdown. Anyone who has seen this film knows that the wolfman is killed not by being shot by a silver BULLET, but rather it is bludgeoned to death by a cane topped with a HEAD made of silver. A werewolfs weakness is silver itself. It doesnt matter what form it is in. Like i said before i normally wouldnt have thought much of it but with the extra illustration of a picture of a gun and bullet it makes me wonder. You seem to have a real knowledge of all the classic movies so it makes me curious how a mistake like this got through. Or hell maybe im completely wrong. Either way i gave my two cents.
You should do a review on Dolls, that was great and was really fun like this film’s appeal.
y’know what really piss’s me off? the fact that this movie still hasn’t had a dvd release in the uk, seriously WTF
{Great|Wonderful|Fantastic|Magnificent|Excellent} beat ! I {wish to|would like to} apprentice while you amend your {site|web site|website}, how {can|could} i subscribe for a blog {site|web site|website}? The account {aided|helped} me a acceptable dea…
I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this one these days…..
Discount Yankee Candles…
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