The Munsters

Rob Zombie – 2022 – USA 

Rob Zombie’s love of the 60s sit-com The Munsters hasn’t been a big secret in the past 25 years or so, and yet, strangely, this new film doesn’t feel at all like a long-simmering passion project. Somehow it feels rushed and slapdash. It doesn’t really have a story. There is no goal to be accomplished or challenge to overcome. Characters seemingly set up as antagonists completely vanish after the first act. It’s essentially a series of loosely connected sequences – Herman's creation, his and Lily’s courtship, their move from Transylvania to Los Angeles – serving as an origin story for the Munsters. Regarding the casting of Mrs. Zombie (Sheri Moon) as Lily, I’ve never been of the mind that the director was in the wrong for putting his wife in every movie - (I think she was actually very good in Halloween and The Lords of Salem) - but this time, it’s a problem. Whether due to lack of direction or insight, her comedy skit style performance is distractingly awkward as well as out of step with the more polished work of the pros in the cast, like Daniel Roebuck as the Count (Grandpa) and Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman, the two with whom she shares the most screen time. I know Sheri Moon Zombie can be better than this. In a scene where she and Herman sing karaoke to Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You, Babe,” she suddenly appears poised, natural and mature. She’s obviously not doing her “Lily” character, and the difference is striking. In spite of this handful of problems, I actually enjoyed the film quite a bit. Zombie puts his strengths and interests, consistent with past films, to good use; i.e., the assortment of grotesque and eccentric characters, the camp humor, and the overall “every-day-is-Halloween" aesthetic behind the production design and entire scenario. Much criticism has been directed at Phillips’ portrayal of Herman, negatively comparing him to Fred Gwynne. I feel that Phillips succeeds in making the part his own by stressing his own personality quirks, and that this is far preferable to any attempted impersonation of Gwynne. I loved that the “donor” for Herman’s brain was a hack comedian, which is where Herman gets his desire for fame and love of bad jokes. All of the main cast also appear in fun dual roles. Special mention has to be made of Richard Brake’s performance as Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang, the mad scientist who builds Herman, intending him to become an Übermensch with the mind of a genius until his assistant delivers the wrong brain. Having played a succession of sleazy sadists in three previous Rob Zombie films, it’s great to see him sinking his teeth into slapstick comedy without reservation. Cult actors Sylvester McCoy, Cassandra Peterson and Catherine Schell appear in supporting parts. I liked it enough to watch it again the next day. Hardcore Munsters fans will be divided. The real test will be if children respond to the film, whether or not they know the original TV series.