The Munsters

Grade: B+

Rob Zombie has been a lifelong fan of The Munsters. He did a commentary track for the Blu-Ray of Munster, Go Home! He’d always wanted to do a feature-length reboot. The Munsters, written and directed by Zombie, hits Netflix on Tuesday, September 27. When the project was announced, the initial rumors were that it would get the full Rob Zombie treatment, if you know what I mean. I was looking forward to a marriage of these iconic sitcom characters and situations with Zombie’s usual dark, twisted, profane, gory spectacle he does so well. I was disappointed when he tweeted recently that his movie would be a family-friendly PG-rated affair. I watched it with an open mind, and it grew on me so quickly and easily that I can’t imagine any other approach being superior. The whole family really can – and should – see it.

Zombie puts his wife in all his movies, often in a starring role. The results haven’t always been pretty, even if she is. Sheri Moon Zombie, as Lily, is really finding her stride as an actor, and her performance here is convincing enough that I often forgot it was her. Zombie likes to use old-school, formerly famous and long forgotten about actors in his films. He put Sid Haig back on the map starting with House of 1000 Corpses. Patricia Quinn (Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show) was in The Lords of Salem. And The Munsters features two former Munsters: Pat Priest and Butch Patrick. He also utilizes the same handful of performers, which, by now, feel like a Zombie Repertory Troupe. Richard Brake plays Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang – who creates Herman Munster, Dr. Frankenstein style. Brake – who normally sticks to a cool, quiet, low, nasal, Tom Petty drawl – gets to be over-the-top and cartoonish, with artistic flourishes I’ve never seen from him. Jeff Daniel Phillips brings a certain lovability as Herman Munster – and he nails that big belly laugh. Zombie regular Daniel Roebuck is spot-on as The Count.

We don’t meet the children in this movie. The plot involves the creation of Herman, his courtship of Lily, and ends with their eventual move to the house on Mockingbird Lane. The sets and colorful cinematography are candy for the eyes. There is something to see and love in just about every shot. Like The Simpsons, it rewards viewers who pay attention to things in the background. There is a nightclub in Transylvania that advertises “live dead girls.” And, following the classic lesson that humor comes in threes, there’s a series of “Keep Out” signs shown to us at one point. The first two are normal, and the third provides us with the perfect comedic payoff. And there is no shortage of one-liners, like “Becoming a mirror salesman is definitely something I can see myself doing.” Or “I’m always the first person on the dance floor at every funeral.” There are plenty of gems I haven’t given away. This isn’t even 10% of it.

Zombie knows to reel us back into reality before proceedings venture too far into a campy tangent. Beneath everything is a lovely message about learning to be tolerant about people you might think are scary, because you haven’t taken the time to get to know them. But it’s not preached to us in a “Moral, kids!” kind of way. I haven’t always enjoyed Zombie’s films (I’m looking at you, The Lords of Salem and 31), but he is a creative, knowledgeable, thoughtful filmmaker who always shoots for the stars. I never watched the original sitcom. I’d be interested to hear how this Munsters movie lands with fans of the series.

The Munsters is the cutest movie Rob Zombie has ever made.

Grade: B+