The Munsters (2022) User Reviews

The sets were the best part.

[tankboy-46851 · 5/10 · 28 September 2022]

So, just to start off, I am a Rob Zombie fan. I don't like all his films, but I respect when he swings for the fences and gets a win. Some hits and some misses.

I went into this wanting Rob Zombie to pull a rabbit out of his hat and blow everyone away.

Pros: the sets are really cool. Whoever designed them and anyone that worked on it should feel proud. They look awesome. I'm kinda jealous. If I ever made a movie, I'd love to use them. The lighting was cool too. I know the garish green and purple highlighting will bother some people, but I kinda dig that sort of stuff. And the acting actually wasn't bad either. Everyone was trying really hard with their respective performances and trying to be campy.

Cons: there is something really off about the movie I can't put my finger on. The editing feels "slow" or "delayed" maybe? I can't explain it but maybe some tightening up was in order. The music (or sound effects rather) are trying to imitate the old 60's show. And it doesn't work. They could've hired someone to compose a memorable score and it would've been a lot better. And finally... the film is boring. It feels like it's three hours long. It's really not funny. Rob should have hired another writer to polish things up. Play to your strengths.

There are things that could've been enhanced and the movie would work soooo much better. I'm afraid to say, I think this one's a miss.

Torn right down the middle...

[Benedict02 · 5/10 · 27 September 2022]

I'll be honest, the second i saw the obviously out of place title card - my heart sank a little. I interpreted it as a sign of things to come, and i wasn't entirely wrong.

While i did enjoy some aspects of this film, it felt so tonally off, and it wasn't helped by certain cinematic choices. It feels like it tries too hard with the visual humour when the strong suit of The Munsters has always been subtle humour with an alternate take on modern life, but Rob Zombie's choice to structure the film as a cartoon come to life just feels like an unnecessary step to take since you're dealing with what're essentially Universal horror monsters. The transitions are incredibly jarring and they really take you out of the moment, and since they're so frequently spaced throughout the film and get worse with each one it really feels like the film never even has a chance to get going. Which is only made worse but the strange pacing of the plot and and a very sudden ending that comes out of nowhere.

As for the cinematic choices, not concerning transitions, the green lighting is so disheartening. It's unbelievably overused and it takes so much away from some of the more beautifully detailed sets. I can't really think of why it's used so much, other than perhaps as an homage to the green skin of the black and white characters that was always hinted to in the sixties show, but when you have actors caked in colourful makeup the lighting just comes across as another unnecessary presentation choice.

It's not always pleasant to look at and the jokes don't always land, but it does have it's enjoyable moments - such as Richard Brake's overly campy performance channelling Vincent Price from his B movie performances in the Roger Corman 'Poe' movies - yet it's hard to justify the film's existence on that basis since it doesn't have much to offer fans of the source material, and i honestly can't see this depiction of the characters appealing to a new generation of fans.

There have been numerous attempts to reboot this series since the 1960s (and not to doom this movie to failure just yet), but none of them have been successful in their attempt at rebooting the property. However, it still feels as though it has been done better, and on more than one occasion. In 1995, Fox's Halloween TV special "Here Come the Munsters," was a delightful reiteration of The Munsters which provided the family an origin and was effective in spawning another sequel and being as close to the original series as you could get. And more recently the Halloween special in 2012, "Mockingbird Lane," provided the family with a much darker edge that they desperately needed to settle into a new century, and sadly this reboot did fail. But in comparison - especially as Tim Burton's "Wednesday" series is soon to be released - i do think a more serious and darker take on The Munsters is what would have been needed in 2022 instead of a rehash of the original show which just exists as a queer vanity project for a hardcore fan of the show.

I am a huge fan of The Munsters and Rob Zombie's but sadly this just felt a little off to me. And maybe it's just because i really wanted to like it, but can't avoid it's abundantly obvious flaws.

I will give it another chance, since it does have a certain appeal, and i may bump it up to three stars depending on how i like the film when i watch it in black and white. Nevertheless, on a first watch for a big fan, I'm completely split down the middle.

This had everything it needed for success but solid writing

[kevin_robbins · 4/10 · 3 October 2022]

The Munsters (2022) is a movie my wife and I watched on Netflix last night. The storyline follows a legacy Transylvanian family that's daughter is up for marriage but is struggling to find a worthwhile suitor. However, a recently created monster, named Hermann Munster, is making the local news and rise in the underground rock arena and appears bound to be a star. When he meets the daughter looking for a husband it may be the spark to stardom for both of them.

This movie is directed by Rob Zombie (House of 1,000 Corpses) and stars Sheri Moon Zombie (The Lords of Salem), Jeff Daniel Phillips (Westworld), Richard Brake (Barbarian), Jorge Garcia (Cooties) and Daniel Roebuck (The Fugitive).

The look and feel of this movie had so much potential. The makeup, lighting, sets, attire, props and cinematography is magnificent. This is a fun movie to watch...if you shut the volume off. The writing is absolutely horrendous. The storyline, jokes, one liners and all of the humor was a huge miss. I did enjoy the transition and depiction of America and the ending setup for a television series/sequel spinoff. But getting through this movie was brutal.

Overall, this had everything it needed for success but solid writing. I would score this a 4/10 and try seeing it once.

A Munstrosity!

[hemisphere65-1 · 2/10 · 10 October 2022]

The writing is awful, overall, but the plot line wouldn't matter much if the "jokes" were even slightly amusing.

It almost seems like the main goal was to make sure that no one wants more of this garbage!

The costumes were great and the sets were pretty cool, but there wasn't much else positive about this movie.

I do want to mention that Shari Moon Zombie obviously put in some time and research watching Yvonne Decarlo as Lily. It was great to see the same mannerisms and expressions, but most of the performances fall flat. This stands out even more with the over the top nonsense that simply isn't funny at all.

Really Disappointing Movie!

[collectorofsorts · 4/10 · 27 September 2022]

I was really hopeful when I heard about the remake. I mean, it's got Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) in it. Who doesn't love her?

But the script was horrible! There's no humor in it. It's like an exaggerated spoof with no respect to the original material.

I'm just dumbfounded that this movie ever got produced. I can't even like the characters because they're nothing like the ones I grew up watching. The Munsters were always about the comedy. But there were only like three times during the entire movie that even made me crack a smile.

I'm giving this movie a four star rating. And, honestly, I think I'm being generous doing that. Give it a watch and see what you think!

Made for TV feel

[kamikaze-4 · 3/10 · 28 September 2022]

I always preferred The Munsters over The Addams Family. After hearing a lot of negative reviews about this film, I still decided to watch the movie. Of all the negative rants I have read, the reviews missed one major problem- The cast doesn't have the wit to pull this film off. It's just meh for me.

The original cast (Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo and Al Lewis) could run rings around the dialogue given. The new cast seems to not want to bother turning in a performance.

The film has too much of a TV movie feel. It might work well for children but not fans of The Munsters

I can see why Universal chose not to release this film to the theaters.

Who exactly was this reboot made for??

[jp7570 · 1/10 · 11 November 2022]

This is a complete disaster from start to finish. Rob Zombie has better credentials with other efforts, but this one just doesn't know what it wants to be.

It plays like a cartoon, including goofy music, bright colors, buffoonish acting, even flat amateurish title graphics. Those qualities aim it squarely at a younger and less discerning audience - people who were not around when the original was on-air. Even if you saw the original in syndication, this has only a passing resemblance to it.

For those the remember watching the original when it was new, this 2022 version completely misses all the dark humor. Sure it was never the Addams Family, but the original Munsters had its moments. This, sadly does not.

Clearly, Rob made this on the cheap. Clues include: the cast consists mainly of unknowns (except for a couple of C-level character actors); the director's wife is cast in a leading role; and it was shot in Hungary (presumably less expensive there than, say, Atlanta or Vancouver). Every pinched penny shows up on the screen.

If this was an attempt at a "back-door" pilot, that door has slammed shut. There may indeed be a market for a modern, dark humor version of a gothic horror family on a streamer. Oh wait, Tim Burton is already doing that on Netflix with "Wednesday". But these days, it wouldn't be surprising to see yet another reboot attempt of The Munsters in 2023. That's what happens when creativity is eclipsed by an inexpensive IP.

I kinda liked it

[tikitim-76520 · 6/10 · 1 October 2022]

Okay so I understand the negative reviews. It was pretty cheesy and dumb and the script was lacking. If you compare it to the original you will be very disappointed. Still I was somewhat entertained and got a few laughs out of it. The acting wasn't great but I did think the lead actor who played Herman was pretty good. I got the most laughs from him. The actress who played Lily left a lot to be desired and Grandpa was meh. The sets were kind of cool and it got me in the Halloween spirit. I will agree that the use of green lighting was overkill. Would I see it again? No. But it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be based on all of the terrible reviews. So I am split down the middle on this. It could have been much better but it also could have been worse in my opinion.

A Mega Disappointment

[johnnyhbtvs27 · 4/10 · 9 October 2022]

The Munsters is a strange one. The first hour is completely abysmal and is verging on one star territory. The second half picks up and once they become a family and the movie more resembles the tv show, it is a lot better.

All the stuff with Dr. Wolfgang & Floop is played so over the top (like all the movie) it becomes a distraction and takes you out of it. Richard Brake's performance is definitely the worst in the film. The early scenes with 'Nosferatu' were also a bad choice.

The last half hour when the Munsters move into their new home is well done and is almost like a confined episode in itself. I wish the whole movie was like this and not the excruciating first hour we are treated to. It would have been good to see Eddie at least for a little bit or even hint at the idea of him towards the end.

The Munsters is ultimately a frustrating failure as Rob Zombie shows flashes of promise and clearly has a love for the project but the first hour of the movie really is unforgivable.

If you take this for what it is, its brilliant.

[johnkenerson · 8/10 · 28 September 2022]

This is a camp sendup of an already campy 60's sitcom. Visually, it's a living comic book haunted house. The acting is hammy, just like the original show and it's just fun to watch. Sherrie Moon Zombie does a great job as an over the top 60's throwback, and Herman is really amusing. Don't go into this movie thinking it's going to be an imaginative sendup. It truly feels like a labor of love for Rob Zombie. I wouldn't pay to see it in the theater, and it won't win any Oscars (except maybe technical ones) but it's a good way to get away from the world for a bit.

I'm normally not a fan of Rob Zombie's films, but this one you can tell there's a lot of his passion and creativity behind it. He had fun with it, you should too.

Does it work?

[clintshannon-39124 · 6/10 · 2 October 2022]

This is in my opinion a departure from Rob Zombies movie career and a throwback to his music videos, animated sequences, and stage shows. Cuts, vibrant contrasting colors...a comic book splash page brought to life. I think we saw some of this in The Lords of Salem, but a little more art house serious. Does it work? Maybe. It's not an easy watch, but it is great Halloween atmosphere, maybe on in the background at a party. No offense to Mr. Zombie but in my opinion he peaked at The Devils Rejects. But I did not see that filthy dirthouse magic in 31 or 3 From Hell. I'll give it a 6 because it's neat and looks amazing.

Bad, Bad, Bad, made no sense

[wizmotronics · 1/10 · 22 October 2022]

I saw this movie had poor ratings, but I'm usually not so critical and often enjoy such movies. But this one was just horrible! Grampa tried to save this movie, he was the only halfway (and I mean half way) decent character. Herman and Lily were terrible and not the least bit believable. The story, what little there was, skipped all over the place and just consisted of a series of dumb monster jokes. Herman wasn't so bright in the original, but here I think his creator just put a rock in his head. Most plot points were never finished and leaves the viewer hanging. That is especially true of the ending, if you wanna call it that, which came out of nowhere, made no sense, and resolved nothing. OK, so the costumes and sets weren't so bad, but without proper characters to hold them up, fell flat.

Painful to watch

[jtfsouth · 1/10 · 3 October 2022]

I really don't know what criteria people use to rate this flick. It was just bad, and was cartoonish at best....and not even that. For someone who can shock his audiences I'm not sure who the audience was.... the people who remember the TV show? Or the generation who has no idea who the Munsters were.

The appeal of the original show was it was an unordinary family living in current society. This is a unordinary family just living in the unordinary society....which is just normal, it just isn't funny.

The jokes are just so incredibley campy it makes it less funny....if that is even possible.

This has to be in MY top 10 worst flicks ever seem.

Not Worth Your Time

[ministerofscat · 1/10 · 26 November 2022]

I really wanted to like this movie. I really did. But I couldn't. In fact, I couldn't even like the first ten minutes. The acting is abysmal, the storyline heads nowhere at an alarmingly slow rate, and the directing seems misguided. Everything about this movie was miserable and a complete disgrace to the original series. I really hope that nothing further materializes from this project. And I also hope that Zombie leaves his wife out of future projects, because her contribution to this film was one of the worst.

As an aside, I heard that Rob Zombie got into a fight with Universal regarding the direction of the film and, out of frustration, he intentionally made a bad movie. If there is any merit to that story, at least he achieved what he was aiming for.

My expectations were low but wow

[xzkhmhzq · 1/10 · 7 October 2022]

It's a serious shame that for many unsuspecting people, this will be their first introduction and probably final viewing to Herman, Lilly and Grandpa Munster.

I was fortunate enough to watch reruns of the show on Nick at Night as a kid. It became one of my favorite shows ever. Wow! Universal monsters but they're all friendly and funny.

Zombie's Munsters did not seem to catch the primary conceit of the show. The primary joke being the juxtaposition of these monsters in the normal world. The film should have been about a modern Munsters living in modern America.

Instead we're treated to Zombie's Halloween fever dream set in Transylvania where the primary premise is lost completely.

The jokes are horrible. Zombie's editing is indulgent and really drags on. The jokes don't have any punch or snappiness. But somehow I get dizzy with Zombie making some of the most amateur cuts and shots I've seen.

The acting is horrible. Herman comes off as an arrogant mean idiot instead of a sweet intelligent articulate lovable oaf. Lilly comes off as I don't even know what she's going for but she's not the strong character I knew from the show. Her hands for some reason are glued to her shoulders.

I wanted to like the movie and I thought even the set design was pretty fun and campy. But as the horrible jokes screamed in my face begging me to laugh along with people dressed but acting nothing like characters I loved, I became increasingly angry at this film. I'm not saying do a Fred Gwynne impression but at least make your voice not sound like nails on a chalkboard and attempt to capture his lovable essence.

Everything about this is horrible. It was painful to watch. 2 hours felt like 5. It felt like nobody involved in making this movie could recognize what was and wasn't working. I'm guessing because they're all friends/family. What a shame. Don't watch this movie. Watch the original show.

Rubbish

[rockinghoul · 1/10 · 27 September 2022]

Why? Embarrassing and insulting to the viewer. It's easy to see why Universal didn't release this theatrically. Horribly "acted" and directed. Surprise! Surprise! Rob Zombie casts his no-talent wife as Lilly Munster. Yvonne DeCarlo is shaking her fist from neons. This makes me relieved that Zombie is not directing the Groucho Marx movie. Hopefully this will finally kill his film career and put us out of our misery (I doubt it). I'm going to hate myself for a while after watching this. Do yourselves a favor and watch the original series. Let's hope Tim Burton's upcoming take on Wednesday Addams is better. Darn! Darn! Darn! Darn!

WOW, never thought it would be this bad

[HakuMashentay · 2/10 · 27 September 2022]

Terrible movie. Really dissapointed as I enjoy zombies movies.

Zombies good films - House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects, 31, 3 from Hell, Halloween Not so good films - The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, Halloween 2.

Awful films - The Lords of Salem, The Munsters

He should stick to what he is good at, he really could have made munsters scary but chose to go the pg route and the movie is awful, as bad as lords of salem. Terrible.

He really could have been imaginative and made this what he is really good at, horror/gore/trash but he chose to try commercial and failed.

In the right hands this could have been done so much better, bet burton in the 90's would have done an amazing job.

Better than expected, but not as good as I was hoping.

[aheartofdorkness · 7/10 · 1 October 2022]

I love "The Munsters" show. I have since I was a kid. Rob Zombie also really loves "The Munsters" and has since he was a kid. I also really like Rob Zombie. Mostly his music, but his movies are not bad. Well, his "Halloween" movies are, but there is a reason for that and it would take too long to get into.

Well, did I also love Rob's take on "The Munsters"?

Yes and no.

What I liked:

It looked great. The colors and cinematography really popped. The makeup and costumes looked very close to the original series. I think his cast did a good job. Jeff Daniel Philips and Daniel Roebuck both did their own thing, but still was close enough to what we are used to with Herman and The Count. Sheri was, well, okay. I think her Lily was a little bland. But there were some moments she really shined.

What I thought needed improving:

The pacing. Especially at the beginning. It dragged on a bit at times. I think a tighter edit could have improved this.

What I did not care for:

While I liked the fact that it was goofy like the original show, I would have liked it to have been less like the show. Use the concept as a launching point, but do something new with it. It is also an origin story for how the family came together and it does not feature Eddie or Marilyn at all. I would have preferred a story with the family as a whole.

Final words:

It has several jokes where I laughed out loud and I had a good time with my family watching it. So, I recommend it. Just don't expect "Citizen Kane" and you might have a good time too.

Campy, cheap, and entertaining kids film

[jzer0 · 8/10 · 29 September 2022]

I loved this film. It took awhile for my brain to adapt to the tone and world that was being created but once it did I throughly enjoyed myself as did my 4 year old. I actually could help but imagine seeing this as a child. The family friendly scenes of horror without a horror atmosphere is something that is truly missing these days. It wasn't trying to be modern. It wasn't even trying to be polished. Better than Halloween Town, equal to Yoga Hosers, but not as good as Ernest Scared Stupid.

I loved The Munsters as a kid and I'll admit this isn't as classy, thought out, or timeless as the old show it is still better than 99% of modern day "reimagining" that is being done.

Way better than the awful trailer.

An amusing little treat for the Halloween season

[aidanratesmovies · 7/10 · 27 September 2022]

Although it can be rather messy at times, The Munsters (2022) is just campy and upbeat enough to make for a fun flick. I love everything about the look of thi film, it just screams late 50's/ early 60's matinee. From its gorgeous gothic imagery, incredible costume and set design, to cheeky camera angles and gorgeous cinematography- The Munsters best quality is definitely its incredible sense of style and atmosphere. Where the film lacks can be in a few different areas, but mostly editing. The film does feel sloppily put together, which is a shame because everything else seems so well put together. Sure the script is pretty basic and even quite corny, but it's done in a way that feels endearing- like catching an old sitcom on satellite television. The jokes are cheesy and there is just so much camp to be had with it, so I can understand some distaste for the film for that, but not nearly enough for it to be as hated upon as it seems to be right now. I for one have always despised Rob Zombie as a director, finding his remakes of the first two Halloween films to be disgraceful and his infamous films like House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects to be in incredibly poor taste as well. This film feels much more in the spirit of films Zombie has done like 31, which I actually had an okay time watching, and found it entertaining enough to be amused. It's hardly perfect entertainment, and in terms of content it's certainly different, but they both have an endearing slapstick nature to them that just works if you turn your brain off for a bit. Sure this films a mess, but it does have charm, something many horror films continue to forget about today in the wake of remakes, reboots, and rebootquels. The cast is fun for this one as well, with Sheri Moon Zombie actually providing a decent lead performance, along with Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman Munster who does an excellent job and some fun casting in smaller parts as well. In the end, The Munsters doesn't nearly deserve the hate it has received. It's far from a good movie, but manages to be fun in all the right places, and with it being a film based upon a classic sitcom, I feel it hits all the notes it needs to.

My Rating: 6.7/10.

Dead in about Every Possible Way!

[district-23105 · 2/10 · 27 September 2022]

Let's be clear from the very start, The Munsters movie is bad. And I don't mean bad in a good way. It's truly terrible. Awful. Unwatchable (even for nostalgia value).

I often wonder who green-lights and gives over millions of dollars to these projects, but whoever did this had obviously had their brain replaced with that of a corpse, because it's one bad idea after another.

It's a charmless, soulless remake of a TV show which should have been left on the cutting-room floor. It's really REALLY that bad.

It did make me laugh in places, but it is quite literally wrong in every single possible way. It feels as though not one person involved in this process had watched the original show, for it has none of the charm or wit, and it's clear there's no one around to say NO to Rob Zombie. WHY was HE given THIS project? He's so clearly utterly unsuited to it. It almost feels like a tax write-off.

Predictably, the script is the bad guy here (which is great as there's no discernible villains in the movie or, in fact, any actual obstacles. It's just one set piece after another.

The origin story is an interesting, if unnecessary one, and it's very sexual and suggestive, which might be great for a Carry On Movie, which this is not. Here, the jokes (as few as they are) stand out like a broken thumb.

AT 1:49, The movie is too long and just ends without any satisfying climax (or, in fact, an unsatisfying climax).

Sheri Moon is great as Lily and the cast is generally great (McCoy is always excellent) but it's just so drab. The sets are often impressive, BUT it's all so lifeless.

In closing, if you're looking for a The Munsters remake, I'd recommend watching the original series, because this is a pointless cash-grab with no redeeming features (apart from the cast, who are charming, but woefully let down by the truly horrendous script).

Perhaps the movie is worth watching as a "How NOT to make a decent movie" or you can have it on in the background as Halloween movie without any bite.

Not a fan of this version,scary for all the wrong reasons..

[ts-0000 · 27 September 2022]

Almost decided to turn it off,only after 10 minutes!

However decided to watch it all,so glad that my decision was to stick it out.. I was right it was not great,felt so cheesy & not in a fun way.

Not really trying to be offensive,but Rob needs to stop casting his wife she just isn't great.. Could also be his directing,which affects her perhaps.

Set decor,costumes,makeup,locations & cinematography was(mostly)decent for things done.

Only wish for all the hype over creating Mockingbird Lane more would of been filmed there,once they finally arrived things felt rushed "probably"because a part 2 is coming.

Actors to even the acting,just felt weak or dragged in spots.. Thinking as mentioned above,might be due to Rob or even others involved in things he does.

I have been a fan of the Munsters growing up & enjoy,seeing any reruns today but honestly this was an awful homage so to speak.

Unfortunately not a movie,would consider watching.. again.

Bottom line: Disappointing! Was beyond excited for this,after seeing it was in the works.

Give this a miss unless you're into being bored

[eventlaunch · 1/10 · 27 September 2022]

Unless you're into being bored out of your mind, give this a miss, seriously Rob Zombie not doing great as a director anymore and here it's like his out to prove his skeptics right. WTF was this everything about this was off unfortunately we can't give 0 so I was litrally forced to give it 1 star. When first I saw the announcement was happy kinda looking forward to it than the trailer. What can I say from the moment I saw the trailer it was somewhat obvious the movie was going to be a disaster. Boy was I proven right second it started something was off managed to watch upto half way so this is review of half the movie.

If tax write off was a movie...

[ThatGuyFromNZ · 2/10 · 27 September 2022]

This most definitely is what it would look like. I really don't even know where to begin, nothing melded together, the actors, the scenes, the humor, the camera work, the music. I am lost on what direction Rob is trying to do with the Munsters. It wasn't a remake or a rehash it was just, bad.

It almost appears as if Rob Zombie is aiming his career towards being a director known for cringey/bad movies that become cult classics for which this movie fails at becoming anything but a $1 Bin DVD (50c really if I'm honest).

Watch it if you dare, some out there will enjoy it, majority won't. Such a waste of money.

Not Very Good

[lyanrocke · 3/10 · 9 October 2022]

All around pretty bad. The writing is weak. Some of the acting is horrible. I get that it's intended to mimic the classic show but it does a very poor job at times. This movie does not do the original show any justice.

The sets are easily the best part of this film. That appears to be where they hired people that are actually good at their craft.

Cinematography is the worst I've seen in as long as I can remember. They shot terrible angles that are completely unflattering to the actors and just look bad. Rob Zombie made great music. He makes bad films. Keep him out of the editing room. Skip this film.