Monster Summer

The Plot: When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.

I didnt know what to expect when I streamed this movie. Turns out it's pretty good. It sort of has a Goonies/Disney vibe about it. With Mel Gibson thrown in for measure.

The story is actually interesting and the kids in the movie (except for the annoying girl) are effective. Plot keeps moving and it was great to see Mel. He's really underutilized these days, but at age 68 I think he can still pull off a leading role or an action movie. And that's saying something.

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]

I found this movie to be a little confusing. In some ways it tried to be a kids movie and in other ways it seemed to try for more. It was just okay. I think if they had left out one particular scene then it could've been a PG kids movie (which i would've still wanted to see) and it would've had a better/bigger audience. But I'm not sure that would've been successful since it lacked magic. I liked the idea of the plot but it felt a little disjointed and whoever wrote the dialogue for the kids really failed. But overall I don't regret watching though since it's October and I appreciate a little spooky during this season. It's decent entertainment if you lower your expectations.

If you have seen The Goonies and The Sandlot you will feel the vibes on this one especially from the beginning even with or without the Umpire played by Patrick Renna from The Sandlot . This was a good watch on a rainy late afternoon here in Great Britain whilst having supper. This is definitely a watch for the family but not sure on kids under a certain age as has one or two wee parts that might scare a minor or three.

A mysterious force disrupts Noah and his friends' summer fun. They team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.

Worth a watch i say.

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.