How could you screw up a movie based on a beloved television series that is rife with potential comedy and parody of both monster movies and social stigmas?
Rob Zombie has demonstrated how to do just that....sadly.
Rob has proven that he knows how to make movies. While certainly not on the Orson Welles-level, his motion pictures are usually entertaining if not a tad disturbing (I'm OK with that, art should stir the senses), so I am at a loss as to what happened with his effort to bring The Munsters into the 21st Century.
One of the themes of the series was "reverse appearance acceptance": scary is good, normal is "unfortunate". Given the current fad of bizarre body alterations, the Munsters would probably find greater acceptance than when the series first appeared during the "coat and tie" 1960's - which would have been a good repetitive subplot. The "shock" over the "normal neighbors" is a poorly-executed one-and-done in this movie: opportunity missed.
The entire plot or storyline is extraordinarily lame, given Rob's predilection for bizarre stories. Like a watered-down, insipid, half-asleep "first draft" outline that was never finalized. Not sure what was the point of everything being neon colored, including the main characters. A "Young Frankenstein"-type B&W would have been both effective and harken back to the series.
As for the performances, if they were intended in any way to channel Fred Gwynn, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Al Lewis, it did not come across. The affection between Lily and Herman is missing, and frankly Eddie is greatly missed.
There's more, but you get the idea: fans of the series will be put out, and there's really no reason for anyone else to watch it. A shame.
Rob Zombie has demonstrated how to do just that....sadly.
Rob has proven that he knows how to make movies. While certainly not on the Orson Welles-level, his motion pictures are usually entertaining if not a tad disturbing (I'm OK with that, art should stir the senses), so I am at a loss as to what happened with his effort to bring The Munsters into the 21st Century.
One of the themes of the series was "reverse appearance acceptance": scary is good, normal is "unfortunate". Given the current fad of bizarre body alterations, the Munsters would probably find greater acceptance than when the series first appeared during the "coat and tie" 1960's - which would have been a good repetitive subplot. The "shock" over the "normal neighbors" is a poorly-executed one-and-done in this movie: opportunity missed.
The entire plot or storyline is extraordinarily lame, given Rob's predilection for bizarre stories. Like a watered-down, insipid, half-asleep "first draft" outline that was never finalized. Not sure what was the point of everything being neon colored, including the main characters. A "Young Frankenstein"-type B&W would have been both effective and harken back to the series.
As for the performances, if they were intended in any way to channel Fred Gwynn, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Al Lewis, it did not come across. The affection between Lily and Herman is missing, and frankly Eddie is greatly missed.
There's more, but you get the idea: fans of the series will be put out, and there's really no reason for anyone else to watch it. A shame.
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