The Munsters (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Universal
Release Date: September 27, 2022
 Rating: PG
 Film:  1.5/5
 
 Plot
 From writer/director Rob Zombie comes the strangest love story ever told. Lily is just your typical 150-year-old, lovelorn vampire looking for the man of her nightmares . . . that is until she lays eyes on Herman, a seven-foot-tall, green experiment with a heart of gold. It’s love at first shock as these two ghouls fall fangs over feet in this crazy Transylvanian romance. Unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing in the cemetery as Lily’s father The Count has other plans for his beloved daughter’s future, and they don’t involve her bumbling beau, Herman.
 
My Thoughts
As a kid, I watched reruns of the TV show and never really considered it a classic. It was harmless fun with some sophomoric humor. Overall, it wasn’t nearly as entertaining as The Adams Family, a show from essentially the same genre. When I saw that Rob Zombie was writing and directing the film, I thought maybe there was a chance he could improve things—boy was I wrong! From the beginning, this film didn’t grab me. The acting is stiff and so over-the-top, it’s almost like the actors weren’t taking things seriously. While there is a semblance of a plot in play, there are way too many threads to unravel and the 110-minute runtime quickly wears out its welcome.
 
As much as I loathed the overall film, I give it credit for both stellar audio and video. The set design shows a lot of detail and the colors really pop. Furthermore, the black levels are near-reference quality—and there are plenty of dark scenes throughout the film. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track does a good job with subtle ambiance and the LFE track is put to good use—too bad the movie is so bad!
 
Video 4.5/5 (AVC)
 Audio 4.5/5 (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
 
 Special Features:

• The Munsters: Return to Mockingbird Lane
• Audio Commentary

 

 
 

 Conclusion
 RT rates the film at 49%, which is much higher than the film should be. Audiences have it at 35% and consider me part of the vast majority who pretty much hated it. While I did enjoy the sets and sound, the movie itself is an outright bore and ranks up there with one of the 10 worst movies I’ve ever reviewed. Ouch!  
 

 Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
JL Audio F110 (X2 co-located and bridged as one sub)
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I will skip this.


In regards to the original (The Munsters tv series), I agree, it was a fun comedy show about fitting in but the better show was "The Addams Family" TV show which didn't care to fit in! But of course, who can't deny watching Munsters for Marilyn Munster!

[AVSCraig]

That looks like it is cheesy with a huge side of cheese. 

[David Vaughn]

That looks like it is cheesy with a huge side of cheese.

Don't forget about the cheesecake for dessert!

[SRW1000]

Thanks for the warning on this one, David.  I'll be in the minority and say that I preferred The Munsters over The Adams Family, but had little hopes for this remake.  

There's always the potential for these do-overs to be good, but it's hard to imagine how they can continually screw up what should be east to make good, and just slightly harder to make great.  It's such a disappointing trend to see resources wasted on drivel, rather than see something inventive and new or at least respectably treated.

[David Vaughn]

Thanks for the warning on this one, David.  I'll be in the minority and say that I preferred The Munsters over The Adams Family, but had little hopes for this remake. 

There's always the potential for these do-overs to be good, but it's hard to imagine how they can continually screw up what should be east to make good, and just slightly harder to make great.  It's such a disappointing trend to see resources wasted on drivel, rather than see something inventive and new or at least respectably treated.

Well said. This was a missed opportunity for sure. 

[bmoney]

Too bad. I LOVED the munsters as a kid