Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Here Be Munsters, April 9, 2004
This had all the makings of a huge disaster. We had already born witness to the huge travesty that was The Addams Family Halloween reunion special four years earlier in 1977, so there weren't high expectations for this one. While the film is by no means a classic or what one would of hoped, it isn't all that bad at all. It's quite enjoyable and very watchable and makes you just about forget The Addams Family mistake. Well, almost. By now, we all know the story already. The Munsters was an ABC show that ran for only two seasons(1964-1966)and consisted of 70 episodes. There was the man of the house, Herman Munster(Fred Gwynne), his wife Lily(Yvonne DeCarlo), her father Grandpa(Al Lewis), son Eddie(Butch Patrick), and beautiful niece Marilyn(Originally Beverly Owen, then Pat Priest). They resided at 1313 Mockinbird Lane. This 1981 reunion brings back the 3 main players, Gwynne, DeCarlo, and Lewis, while newcomers played Eddie and Marilyn. Comedy legend Sid Caesar plays a crook who has his wax dummies at the wax museum come to life and pull off robberies. Two such wax dummies are dead ringers for Herman and Grandpa. Naturally, our favorite gruesome twosome are charged with the robberies and it's up to Herman and Grandpa to clear their names and stop the madman. The depiction of Herman and Grandpa as a slapsticky comedy team is fun. What is really special about this goodhearted reunion is that the 3 main actors are all in fine form. It was as tho not a day had passed since their final episode in 1966. Gwynne, who was 54 at the time, was as usual, perfection. He knows Herman inside and out and there is not a single difference in his look or performance as Herman. He was fantastic and never got the credit he deserved. Al Lewis is Grandpa and like Gwynne, it was as if nothing had changed. There was definitley noticeability in age with DeCarlo however. Still, she was Lily. There was nothing to write home about the new actors who played Marilyn and Eddie. Obviously the original actors would of been too old to play these roles now. Points also go to the set of the famous Munster abode. It is pretty much the way it was on the series. It was nice to see the house, what we saw of it, in color. The first Munster movie, "Munster, Go Home!" in 1966, was nice, but I liked and enjoyed this one better. Like I said before, it could of easily of been a horrible disaster, but with the fantastically in top form Gwynne and Lewis, the house, and the endearing charm of the film and the series' legacy, it wasn't all that bad. Now, how about a big screen update?.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Weak overall, but still irresistible, February 23, 2004
For those of us who are lifelong fans of "The Munsters," this made-for-TV reunion, while weak in storyline, at least continues the life of the original series sadly cut short after only two seasons. Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis look mostly unchanged and the pair have lost none of their camraderie, and even a noticeably older Yvonne DeCarlo holds up well. Kudos also go to the set designers, who seem to have assembled as many of the original props as could be found for the interior set of the Munster home which fans know so well. [Note, however, that exterior shots of the house are taken from "Munster, Go Home!," with "England or Bust" painted on the family car. By the time "The Munsters' Revenge" was produced, the original house facade at Universal had gone through several unfortunate alterations and must have been too costly to restore and re-dress.] Call this one "for fans only."
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great DVD release, August 31, 2001
The Munsters' Revenge is, as reunion movies go, an excellent outing. The stars look remarkably unchanged (in spite of the 15 year interval)and their typical performances in character leave you feeling they've never really been away - especially with a script which is very reminiscent of the original series and is quite strong in its humour. What a great idea to release this on DVD and let's hope that this encourages the release of more Universal product reunion movies on DVD such as The Return of Ironside, The Rockford Files, etc. Well worth the money.
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