Ever since the Goonies came out nearly 40 years ago, we’ve been drawn to the misadventures of kids solving crimes and mysteries. But then again honestly Scooby-Doo kind of did that for us as well. It’s a great formula as evident in shows like Stranger Things so anytime somebody tries to copy that playbook, fans and critics are always a little skeptical. How can you capture lightning in a bottle twice? But Monster Summer starring Mel Gibson seems to do that In a B-Level movie that’s a lot more fun than it should be. Monster Summer is definitely Stranger Things and Goonies all wrapped up in one and that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give the film. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. And it’s a good filler as we’re waiting for the final season of Stranger Things.
The film is about the legend of an ancient witch that must need children to survive… that’s all I can reveal without giving away the plot and this is a movie that should be watched even if it’s just once. Set in a small northeastern town, much like in a Stephen King story, The innocence of summer is in full bloom as kids enjoy baseball and going to the coast, but behind the scenes are reports of missing children and the legend of a witch. Mel Gibson plays a former police officer whose child goes missing and ends up helping the Goonies-like squad find the witch hiding in this small town. His performance is probably the best performance of the movie. However, the kids are adorable and harken back to our youth as if we are watching The Sandlot all over. Kevin James as the newspaper editor who doesn’t want to hear stories of folklore in his town is also enjoyable. The best part of the film is that it does have a great murder-mystery feel, and one that you might find in a Hardy Boys novel. It’s a fun adventure all the way to the end with great performances from the kids and Mel Gibson. And I feel like it’s based on a short story that Stephen King would have written. That’s certainly a compliment.
But the biggest flaw of this movie is that it feels very familiar. We have seen this stuff before. It’s nothing new, nothing original, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But the difference between an okay movie and a great movie is presenting the audience with something they haven’t seen before. Monster Summer doesn’t do that. It’s a fun scary adventure that plays to familiar tropes and tries to replicate movies like The Goonies and Super 8. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I mean it’s not as bad as Hallmark movies which basically write the same story over and over about finding love. I would rather watch a Goonies-like movie even when it feels familiar than watch something on the Hallmark channel. However, what makes this movie worth watching are the great performances and the familiarity of a story that seems like it would have been written by Stephen King. Sometimes, we can find hidden gems in those B-Films better not necessarily meant for the big screen, but a streaming channel like Netflix. So while I can’t say that it’s the greatest movie involving kids solving an urban legend, it’s a fun movie that won’t entirely disappoint if you watch it one night. Yes, it’s a very middle-of-the-road movie, but sometimes we need those to entertain us. And Mel Gibson’s performance carries the film that definitely makes it watchable. Also, this would make a great double feature with The Goonies. It may not be worth the price of a movie ticket, but it’s certainly worth the price of an online rental. Although, it does make me wonder if this would have been better as a series as kids in a small New England town go on Scooby-Doo-like adventures where this movie serves as the pilot.
