Monster Summer

Greetings again from the darkness. A fun-filled film meant only to entertain is always welcome. Traditionally these show up during the summer months, but timing this one closer to Halloween makes complete sense. Written by Bryan Schulz (the grandson of the late Peanuts creator Charles Schulz) and Cornelius Uliano (his collaborator on THE PEANUTS MOVIE, 2015), the film is directed by David Henrie, best known for his role in "How I Met Your Mother". It's his first feature film gaining distribution, and it doesn't disappoint.

It's 1997 on Martha's Vineyard (although it's filmed in Southport, North Carolina) and budding journalist Noah (Mason Thames, THE BLACK PHONE, 2021) is desperately trying to follow in his recently deceased father's footsteps. However, the local newspaper editor (Kevin James) wants nothing to do with the kid's ideas. Noah suspects an evil presence in town at just about the same time Miss Halverson (Lorraine Bracco, "The Sopranos") arrives for an extended stay at the B&B run by Noah's mother (Nora Zehetner, BRICK, 2005).

Not to give anything away, but witchy things start happening. Noah's baseball teammate Ben (Noah Cottrell) is night-swimming with a lady friend (Lilah Pate), and a fright leaves him "with the lights on and no one home" (as it's described). It's summertime, so baseball is a recurring theme for Noah and his friends Eugene (Julian Lerner, the new "The Wonder Years") and Sammy (Abby James Witherspoon), with familiar face Patrick Renna (THE SANDLOT) as the league umpire. The three friends begin their own investigation, but soon enough, Noah is on his own ... at least until he joins forces with retired detective Gene (2-time Oscar winner Mel Gibson). Gene has long been the subject of local rumors and mostly keeps to himself; but Noah's work piques his interest, and the two share a form of grief.

Bits and pieces of IT (2017), THE GOONIES (1995), and more recently, "Stranger Things" all play a role, and we have references to Mulder and Scully from "The X-Files", as well as a nostalgic feel that gives this more the feel of a childhood adventure than a true horror story. However, the creep factor is strong enough to earn the PG-13 rating. It should also be noted that Mel Gibson has been 'canceled' in some circles, yet he brings the necessary gravitas to elevate the film. It also seems safe to predict that young Mason Thames has a nice acting career ahead of him. Stories revolving around neighborhood legends and myths are quite common, and this one chooses to blend the supernatural with local police cases. So, if you are up for some cinematic fun times around Halloween, director David Henrie is all about treats, not tricks.

Opening in theaters on October 4, 2024.

The set up is a bit like Stand By Me, but gradually builds up like a classic horror throwback. You might get vibes of a psychedelic cross between Lost Boys and Stranger Things. You might even feel hints of some popular anime or manga mixing in. Most interesting though is that it might just resemble an even more twisted complex version of the classic story, Hansel and Gretal. Though I may have simplified the description, the atmosphere and plot are starkingly similar to those movies. However it isn't all about horror as plenty of mystery elements and bits of angst, understanding others, and growing up even out the overall experience. It's certainly worth watching and if you like this type of movie, then it's also worth buying.

I think it's hard to give this movie a fair rating since I'm not the target audience and it's clearly aimed at younger people. That being said, the movie should still be able to entertain adults, and I found it to be rather entertaining. The plot is pretty simple, and this premise has been done before. However, the addition of Mel Gibson as the retired police detective was great, he was probably my favorite part of the movie.

There were plenty of stereotypes and many well-known tropes, which I personally found a bit tiring. However, for younger viewers, it could definitely work. The actors delivered overall solid performances, and the cast was actually quite stacked, even featuring Kevin James. It was also nice to see Mason Thames, the young boy from The Black Phone, as a lead character again, he did a solid job.

Overall, I'd say the movie is decent but nothing out of the ordinary, which might cause it to get lost in the sea of movies being released nowadays. [5.2/10]

As much as I'm a fan of good witches like Sabrina or the sisters from Charmed, sometimes it's nice to have a witch just be evil. I also like that this movie takes itself seriously. There is some light jokes but it doesn't take away from the danger they are facing.

While the pacing could be better, the story was well written and acted, particularly Mason Thames, who plays the main guy, and Mel Gibson. The characters feel believable and they get some development and a few heartfelt moments. One might compare it to Are You Afraid Of The Dark? In that way. The ending was fun and wrapped things up nicely.

Monster Summer is like The Sandlot kids taking on the supernatural. It serves as a great introduction to horror films (and Mel Gibson) for kids and preteens.

Even if the story is familiar, I really enjoyed it. It isn't made for someone my age, but the writing and direction feels very Spielbergian. The characters are way above average for a family movie.

Also, there's a twist I can't believe I didn't see coming. If I were a kid, I would've called it one of my favorite movies because I always found Are You Afraid of the Dark? And Goosebumps to be lacking the bite that this movie has.

Spooky season popcorn fun for all.