4 out of 5

Director: Fred Dekker

I dont think that anyone above the age of 21* wouldnt at least be able to enjoy this movie… with a big chunk of that crowd probably loving it. Monster Squad comes from that same weirdo beautiful time in movies that allowed for things like Goonies and a live-action Turtles to happen, where kids sometimes swore and there was blood on the screen and it wasnt coated in a too cool for school mentality. I didnt grow up with Monster Squad but I wish I had. Whats it about? Exactly what youd hope: Dracula, Frankensteins monster, Gill-Man, the wolfman, and the mummy have popped up in modern day Burbank to find an amulet that will allow evil to rule. Adults dont believe in monsters, so its up to a group of monster-movie-lovin-teens to become The Monster Squad and stop em. The tone is pitch perfect with the right blend of dorkiness and cool, and a pre-p.c. time that allowed kids to talk more realistically. Everyone also belies a certain intelligence – the kids understand whats happening and make the right choices, and the adults, the skeptical, get on board once they see whats what. Why the lack of star? Well… this isnt fair, but the extras actually made me appreciate the movie a little less, as theres sort of a sad what used to be feeling behind-the-scenes. The blu-ray transfer of this is excellent. Horror, camp, and movie fans that like something a little kooky will all be at home here. *(pre-21ers might not fully appreciate this era of film-making is all)**

**This comment was written in February of 2011, for my documentarians in the crowd WHAT UP YA’LL DOCUMENTIN