What we have here is an eighties version of the same idea that Stephen Sommers would have almost two decades on, just before he made the terrible 'Van Helsing'. In this film, we have five of Universal's most famous monsters - Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, Frankenstein's Monster and (best of all) The Creature From the Black Lagoon, all moulded into a plot that follows a bunch of kids that group themselves into 'The Monster Squad' to battle the classic fiends. Director Fred Dekker is undoubtedly most famous for his cult classic 'Night of the Creeps', and while this follow-up isn't quite as good; it certainly shows the director's talent for making enjoyable lightweight horror films, and this film triumphs because it throws caution to the wind where logic and seriousness is concerned; and plays out solely for a good time. The film opens with a sequence that sees Van Helsing attempting to thwart the evil Dracula, before moving swiftly to the modern day where we are introduced to a bunch of monster-obsessed kids who, after a series of odd occurrences; begin to believe that the movie monsters are about to take over the world.
By keeping the film true to all the rules of the classic Universal films, Fred Dekker gives it a sort of credibility over and above what a film of this nature should have; and that is the main reason why the film works so well. Dekker manages to ensure that the film will appeal to two big horror audiences; fans of the classics will appreciate the plot and humour, while young kids are bound to get a kick out of the characters and their witty dialogue. The film is very short, running at just over eighty minutes; and while the plot that we do have is meaty enough considering the type of film; this is one of the few occasions where a lack of padding actually harms the film. Somehow, Dekker manages to gives ample screen time to all the monsters, however; and just as was the case in Universal's attempts to blend their monster flicks together, it is The Wolf Man that gets the best scenes. One major criticism of the film that I'd like to make is that Duncan Regehr is not charismatic enough in the role of Dracula, and the other monsters are all bigger highlights than him. Still, there is only one Bela Lugosi; and the fact that the cast of child actors isn't annoying in the slightest more than makes up for this. Overall, The Monster Squad is a great slice of eighties kitsch and comes highly recommended to the right people!
By keeping the film true to all the rules of the classic Universal films, Fred Dekker gives it a sort of credibility over and above what a film of this nature should have; and that is the main reason why the film works so well. Dekker manages to ensure that the film will appeal to two big horror audiences; fans of the classics will appreciate the plot and humour, while young kids are bound to get a kick out of the characters and their witty dialogue. The film is very short, running at just over eighty minutes; and while the plot that we do have is meaty enough considering the type of film; this is one of the few occasions where a lack of padding actually harms the film. Somehow, Dekker manages to gives ample screen time to all the monsters, however; and just as was the case in Universal's attempts to blend their monster flicks together, it is The Wolf Man that gets the best scenes. One major criticism of the film that I'd like to make is that Duncan Regehr is not charismatic enough in the role of Dracula, and the other monsters are all bigger highlights than him. Still, there is only one Bela Lugosi; and the fact that the cast of child actors isn't annoying in the slightest more than makes up for this. Overall, The Monster Squad is a great slice of eighties kitsch and comes highly recommended to the right people!