CMT - The Monster Squad

Every proper story has a beginning, middle and end. The goal of such a production is to entertain and leave the audience satisfied. Sometimes though, a single hit is not enough. Properties want to be franchises, and films often plan for sequels. 

I don't have any insights, regarding the process behind "Monster Squad". I do love to speculate though, and it seems like they hoped for a long running series. The most important thing to remember, is that each movie has to deliver. This one has the ingredients, but there is such a thing as overselling the product.


Classic Movie Trailers - The Monster  Squad (1987)


Generally, I like the idea of "The Monster Squad". I also had fun just kicking back and watching Universal's creations. It's kind of like Marvel's "Avengers", with so many awesome characters packed into a single film. The logic behind it seems to point to a big hit; but that's the thing, it feels like a contrivance.

I can even see the meeting occurring in my head. I'm sure every important suit sat down, to discuss what they had and what they could sell us. It's clear they thought this would score with the teenagers. Unfortunately, young people can see through a weak pitch.

Before you misunderstand, I don't think this horror outing is a horrible film. There's a lot of fun to be had here, and it's hard to deny the childlike appeal. Given that however, it's a thinly veiled attempt to win over a certain demographic. A lot of work was put into making it "rad", but to me that just makes it corny.

I also think that  "Squad" tries way too hard. These kids cuss like sailors and pack serious heat, but that's if they're not smoking and peeping into a dressing room. I know full well that Fonzie was cool, but we didn't need his little bro to come and give us "attitude".  The concept of the movie is good enough on its own; you just have to make sure it's well handled.

Anyone can put kids in a room with a bunch of icons. Ultimately, the difference between a good and a bad treatment, is how well the idea is thought out. If Dracula teams up with Wolf-Man and Frankenstein, that's cool by itself, but we still need a good reason why. There are no reliable shortcuts to an entertaining story, and there's more to it than a simple combination of elements.

Look at it this way: you can dump sugar and butter and syrup and chocolate, into a bowl without effort. If you do all that and cook a dessert, the dish will be amateurish. This isn't a cake walk folks; this is the culinary arts, and the chefs are going to get all the repeat business. Any piece of fiction is up on the shelf, right next to a great deal of tasty competition.

I'll freely admit however, that the producers had the crux of something great. I just think they got the cart in, before the horse. "Monster Squad" has its moments though, and I also find it funny in a cheesy way, though I'm not sure if that was intended. Regardless, it's definitely a product of its time, and maybe nostalgia is that spice that you are looking for.

Personally, I see it as an amalgamation of "awesome". It's everything they think we want, served up on a platter. The main pitch behind it is the massive amount of "cool", but some products are better when you remove some of the features. If it means that the result is thoughtful and smart, less is definitely more, as far as I'm concerned.

You can't put Venom in with Spider-Man, Sandman and Goblin just because. Piling on the thing just makes it ready to tip over. Every selling point has to justify itself, and you can't combine popular trends to make something popular. Keep in mind, that "Batman Begins" earned its sequels; it was a focused, it was quality, and it set it sights on a single experience. The trilogy came later.



Trailer Here.

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See "Monster Squad" on Netflix!

Happy Halloween!