Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Silly remake of 1960s sitcom has drinking, mild violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Munsters (2022)
What's the Story?
In THE MUNSTERS, Dr. Wolfgang (Richard Brake) is a mad scientist and grave robber who's determined to sew together a super genius out of the body parts he steals. But when his creation comes to life, he realizes it was a mistake to include the brain of a recently-deceased one-liner comic. The creation is given the name "Herman Munster" (Jeff Daniel Phillips) by Wolfgang's not-bright assistant Floop (Jorge Garcia). Soon, Herman becomes the hit of the comedy talk show circuit, and soon even fronts a popular rock band. Meanwhile, Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie) is a lonely single vampire going on bad dates set up by her father The Count (Daniel Roebuck), but the moment she lays eyes on Herman while he performs on TV on "Good Morning, Transylvania," she instantly falls in love with him. While Herman makes a bad impression on The Count, Herman and Lily date, fall in love, and get married. But when Herman is suckered into signing away ownership of the castle to an unscrupulous relative of Lily's, Herman decides that the best thing to do is to leave Transylvania with Lily and The Count and make a new start in Hollywood.
Is It Any Good?
This is a kitschy and goofy reboot of a silly 1960s sitcom. The Munsters isn't going to dazzle the cinephiles of Cannes, obviously, but this Rob Zombie-written-and-directed origin story of Herman, Lily, and The Count stays in its lane and delivers puns and one-liners a plenty. It captures the campy humor of the original show without going overboard with post-modern irony, but also brings an original sensibility that doesn't just make this a straight copy of what came before.
There are cameos galore, which only adds to the fun. In terms of the main players, Jeff Daniel Phillips is hilarious as Herman, delivering the cadences and stylings of Herman's original actor Fred Gwynne, but also adding a certain hipster (in the '60s and not modern sense) flair to the role. Sheri Moon Zombie and Daniel Roebuck also bring a lot of their own style and humor to their roles (Lily and The Count, respectively) while also staying true to the source material. It's not a masterpiece, but it's an above-average reboot, which should count for something these days.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about reboots like The Munsters. Why do you think Hollywood likes to bring back old movies and TV shows? Are they ever as good as the original, and if so, what are some examples?
This movie is also an origin story of how Herman and Lily met, technically before the action of the old sitcom. Why do you think there is an interest in the origin stories of well-known characters? What are some other examples of movies or TV shows that are origin stories?
Some of the gags involve drinking too much. Do these scenes encourage drinking, or is it obvious that the characters act foolish after drinking too much?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 27, 2022
- Cast : Cassandra Peterson , Sheri Moon-Zombie , Jeff Daniel Phillips
- Director : Rob Zombie
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 109 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Macabre and suggestive material, scary images and language.
- Last updated : February 9, 2026
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