The Munsters have been around since 1964. What is interesting is that the original series was canceled after only two seasons. It was in syndication where it really gained steam. One of those obvious fans of the series growing up was none other than Rob Zombie, who decided to dig up the origins of this classic monster family into a brand-new feature movie.

When the announcement was first made that Zombie would be in charge of this rebirth of The Munsters, I must admit I was nervous. His typical violent and grindhouse-forward style of horror films had me believing that he was going to take this beloved family into a really dark place.

But it was actually the exact opposite. Zombie uses a very vibrant color palette with a 60s vibe that brings The Munsters into the modern day while at the same time taking us back to a simpler time in entertainment. What is clear as you watch this film is that for Zombie this film comes from a place of love. He was clearly a fan of the project he was working on but it seemed he made the film from memory alone.

The Munsters is a love story . How Herman Munster, played by Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Lilly, played by Sheri Moon Zombie met and fell for each other. We see how Herman was built by a mad scientist, played by Richard Brake, as well as how stale Lilly’s dating life had been. When they finally find each other, Lilly’s father, The Count, played by Daniel Roebuck, will do whatever he can to stop them from being together.

ALSO SEE: THE MUNSTERS TRAILER | ROB ZOMBIE BRINGS HERMAN, LILY, AND THE REST OF THE GANG TO THE WORLD OF COLOR

Overall, I’d have to say that The Munsters is a fun nostagic ride. But it has some glaring issues that a times made it less enjoyable for me. The biggest issue was the pacing. The films starts at a snail’s pace with Herman’s origin story. To the point where I wondered if we were ever going to get to the rest of the family. Once Herman and Lilly are together it sprints to the finish line. Leaving behind the fun interaction between Munsters and regular people we find fun. There was no real balance as to what was important and what wasn’t. Edited differently, this may be a better offering.

While The Munsters is supposed to be comedic, after a while it felt like Herman’s joke’s started to feel dry. Especially with his need to celebrate each punch line time and time again. To the point where I started questioning if that joke had already been told.

Overall, its not a film that will go down as one of those Halloween classics. Although strangely enough I do feel that it has a place. The bright colors as well as the throwback style music would make this a great film to put on a projector or a TV during a party. Just to keep the mood light with a spooky twist.

Great choice to release this straight to home release and on Netflix.

OVERALL GRADE FOR: THE MUNSTERS: C