Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Count Dracula returns to the world of humans accompanied by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Gillman. The uglies are in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them the ability to rule the world. A group of horror-loving heroes are the only ones daring to stand in their way.
The Monster Squad is a charming, nostalgic 1987 horror-comedy that blends classic Universal monster icons with a Goonies-style kid-gang adventure. The plot is straightforward but executed with genuine affection for the source material, making it more than a simple cash-in. Acting from the child cast is uneven but enthusiastic, with Duncan Regehr's Dracula standing out as genuinely menacing. Cinematography is competent genre work with solid practical monster effects. Novelty scores reasonably well for its irreverent mashup of classic monsters with a kids-eye perspective, though the formula itself is derivative of earlier ensemble monster films. The ending delivers satisfying if predictable monster-vanquishing payoffs, with the bittersweet farewell to Frankenstein's monster adding unexpected emotional weight.