This little flick was way above average for cable-tv fare. In fact, it was quite good on its own terms, mixing a simple but entertaining teen storyline with some surprising satire of corporate t.v. practices and clever, affectionate nods to the monster movies of Bert I. Gordon and Ray Harryhausen. In terms of acting, the younger members of the cast acquit themselves well (especially Mary Elizabeth Winstead) but it's Adam West who steals the show. His take on the 'grizzled scientist' archetype is campily amusing and genuinely likable all at once - the kind of witty celebrity-cameo perf you'd expect from a latter-day John Waters film. The filmmakers also deserve a round of applause for bypassing the usual lame CGI effects in favor of genuine stop-motion animation - it seals the film's b-movie appeal. In deference to 'gceomer,' this may not be LORD OF THE RINGS but it is a thoroughly likable little genre flick that is well worth the time for those of us predisposed to such fare.
Review of Monster Island
