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The Monster Squad
1987
Comedy, Family/Kids
1h 19m
Dracula is alive. In fact, he plans to rule the world and that is why he seeks the help of other legendary monsters... (imdb)
Directed by:
Fred DekkerThe Monster Squad
1987
Comedy, Family/Kids
1h 19m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 49.89% from 741 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
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Rated 05 Jul 2015
88
74th
Wolfman's. Got. Nards. Are there any three words that sum up '80s cinema better than these? When Shane Black and Fred Dekker penned these words, angels sang out from the heavens in a majestic chorus, and the foulest sinners burning in the hottest pits of hell felt a rare moment of relief from their pain. It was at this instant that the '80s stopped being a decade and instead became a state of mind.
Rated 05 Jul 2015
Rated 20 Oct 2014
80
81st
A loving tribute to classic horror with a lot of heart, swearing, kids acting like actual kids and goofy/neat content. I might not have seen this as a kid, but I was blazed enough to be on the same mental level as little Barthalen and as such a very good time was had. Any movie where Dracula blows up a treehouse with dynamite gets two nards up in my book.
Rated 20 Oct 2014
Rated 19 Jan 2019
80
80th
It was recently suggested to me by a fellow criticker, that I start writing my Next Great American Novel. It's coming along great, thank you for asking, although I must admit to being a bit stuck after the first sentence, which reads: "Wolfman's got nards!"
Rated 19 Jan 2019
Rated 21 Apr 2008
80
77th
They really dont make PG movies like this anymore. "Faggot"
Rated 21 Apr 2008
Rated 25 Jan 2008
8
93rd
It's oozing with awesome 80s cheese (including a classic montage set to a song called "Rock Until You Drop"), children as young as five using the words "asshole," "goddamn," "faggot," and "shit," the same children wielding guns against horror movie monsters with oft-bloody results, and an endless stream of awesome laughs and violence and cheesy special effects. It's the complete package. Lord knows why it hasn't endured to the degree the similar Goonies has.
Rated 25 Jan 2008
Rated 22 Jan 2008
90
97th
They sadly don't make kids movies quite like this anymore. Officially my favorite movie when I was nine - and I love it still. A few years back, I chose it for a Favorite Guilty Pleasure Night... but it really is much too good for that. Everything about it rocks, in fact. If you dig it, remember to pair it with Dekker's equally awesome 'NIght of the Creeps' upon next rewatch.
Rated 22 Jan 2008
Rated 05 Feb 2013
91
91st
Fred Dekker is from some kind of magical world where you could see horror movies, fall in love with them, and then make tributes to them; not clever deconstructions, not half-assed remakes or retreads, just movies that actually capture the nostalgia of a childhood spent vested in horror. Uh, I mean, "Wolfman's got nards!"
Rated 05 Feb 2013
Rated 07 Oct 2010
90
93rd
This movie made me want to WEEP, it was so great. Saw it many, many years ago as a young, monster-loving lad and just recently gave it another whirl at the age of 31. I literally could not wipe the smile off my face. It has huge, gaping plot holes galore, but it also has all the classic monsters, pre-PC 13-year-olds taking the piss and a 5-year-old girl calling her big bro "chickenshit", all in 86 crisp, unpatronizing and sometimes bloody minutes. God I loved this. Better than The Goonies!
Rated 07 Oct 2010
Rated 25 Mar 2022
75
69th
I don’t watch a lot of movies like Monster Squad
I consider it kid’s stuff and this is exactly that kid stuff
But it has a really good mix of comedy and cool special effects
But I doubt anyone besides a small kid would find it scary
Favorite line; Wolfman’s Got Nards !
Rated 25 Mar 2022
Rated 13 Sep 2015
70
40th
Capitalizes on what kids really like: monsters and swearing.
Rated 13 Sep 2015
Rated 31 Oct 2012
80
70th
Quintessential 80 kids movie with added Universal Monsters. Doesn't get much better than that. The script is packed with snazzy 1980s lingo ("Wolf Man has nards!") and it even features an evil german guy next door. I guess it could've been executed a bit better. But come on: Dracula calling a 5 year old girl a bitch...I mean...come ON! That is just...great is what that is...you don't see that so much nowadays...now it's all toys and merchandising...dammit now I went back to being grumpy again.
Rated 31 Oct 2012
Rated 15 Jan 2012
65
45th
I loved this movie when it came out when I was eleven. Upon rewatch it is obviously less awesome, but still surprisingly good. Despite being incredibly locked into the 80's it was a refreshing look at kids acting a little more like kids than in most films of that period. Wolfman has nards indeed.
Rated 15 Jan 2012
Rated 19 Apr 2011
76
61st
This movie gave us the all time classic, "Kick him in the nards!" I'm not quite sure if he had a speech impediment or if he really meant it, but whatever.
Rated 19 Apr 2011
Rated 02 Jun 2019
70
49th
Decent fun kids film with some more adult-oriented humor. It's cut pretty much down to just the bones though, leaving a lot of characterization by the wayside, something its 80s contemporaries did much better at. Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh hysterically when Dracula called a five-year-old girl a bitch.
Rated 02 Jun 2019
Rated 08 Jun 2014
4
91st
Short and sweet 80's tween comedy with -beyond the bat's on string lol stuff- some good (Stan Winston apparently) effects. The children don't sound like modern disney clones -all bitch, shit and faggot- like real children -oddly refreshing.
Rated 08 Jun 2014
Rated 27 Mar 2011
85
87th
Ace film for it's time. Ranks up high along with The Goonies.
Rated 27 Mar 2011
Rated 22 Oct 2009
85
56th
Where the hell was this movie when I was ten years old? This would have been my favorite movie! As it stands, I still really enjoyed watching this as a 25 year old man child.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
Rated 07 May 2009
84
86th
A decently innovative monster mash movie, a genre that I think everyone loves, with a climax that is definitely satisfying. Could have used much more action, and comedy, but as it is it's like cake without frosting, good, but not great.
Rated 07 May 2009
Rated 09 Feb 2009
2
33rd
A cute premise poorly executed. The characters are undeveloped and uniformly annoying. The story is like a fat, flightless bird; it flaps its wings frantically but never gets off the ground. And something about using a holocaust survivor as a plot device in something this inconsequential didn't sit well with me. Apologies to the "Nostalgia Squad."
Rated 09 Feb 2009
Rated 23 Aug 2007
70
49th
Looking through the lens of nostalgia, I viciously defend this film. However, removing that lens, I would say that it is merely a very good children's film and an entertaining one for adults. The action on display, along with the vulgar language, could frankly never be put in another children's film in this day and age. Shane Black, the writer of such great action films as Lethal Weapon and the recent Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, got one of his first screenwriting jobs from friend Fred Dekker.
Rated 23 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
78
64th
Classic 80's fare, but not starring any of your classic 80's stars. If the Goonies met classic black and white horror and it was turned into a comedy, you would have The Monster Squad. While it sounds ridiculous, this works, and works extremely well.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 12 Jul 2007
90
92nd
You know, I don't give "The Monster Squad" a high score because of a weepy sense of nostalgia that overwhelms me when I'm reminded of my favorite childhood film... "Monster Squad" was the "Citizen Kane" of the 80's! It has everything you could want in a movie: monsters, squads, a scary German guy. Most importantly, it's the story of the young boy inside ALL of us who uses the power of the amulet for GOOD and endeavors to save the world from Dracula's megalomania. Our name.. IS HORACE.
Rated 12 Jul 2007
Rated 30 Mar 2007
100
95th
Terrific. A monster movie, yet sweet and innocent somehow. I was exactly the kind of kid when I was a boy that the heroes of this movie are
Rated 30 Mar 2007
Rated 21 Aug 2020
60
12th
This is one of those times where I'm truly puzzled by the majority opinion. This feels like such a giant wasted opportunity. The characters are flat caricatures that have been seen in every kid's movie ever, the subplot with the parents goes nowhere, the monsters are barely ever shown together, & a girl gets straight up blackmailed into helping the so-called heroes via a creepy nude they took of her. The plot is a jumbled mess. The tone is all over the place. Didn't really like this.
Rated 21 Aug 2020
Rated 08 Jul 2020
74
42nd
This is a good film fro families to watch. The kids do a good job with the lead roles in this movie. The script gets the job done. Overall I would recommend this movie.
Rated 08 Jul 2020
Rated 11 May 2017
50
35th
Not bad.
Rated 11 May 2017
Rated 07 Jan 2017
67
43rd
It lacked a bit of spark to make it exciting, but it was fun and goofy and full of...did they just blackmail that kid's sister with nudie pics of her taken by Frankenstein?
Rated 07 Jan 2017
Rated 21 Nov 2016
60
40th
there are nice moments here and there, and the dialog oozes shane black, especially between the cops. but saying that a lot of plot isn't set up properly would be an understatement, it's often rushed and feels like you skipped something. it just doesn't come together very well, probably killed in editing.
Rated 21 Nov 2016
Rated 19 Oct 2016
75
90th
Surprisingly really good. Far from a romanticism of the 80s, the film has an attitude to it. The kids swear, some kid peeps through a girl's window, and a certain homophobic slur is thrown around like it's nothing. That in combination with the harshness of the film as characters die or get blown up adds to its presentation.
Rated 19 Oct 2016
Rated 06 Apr 2015
70
46th
Comparisons to THE GOONIES are inevitable (and fair), though THE MONSTER SQUAD appealingly wears its silliness on its sleeve. Rightly more concerned with the relationships between its young protagonists than in paying homage to Universal monster lore (the gentle Frankenstein's monster excepted). Feels edited within an inch of its life but manages to preserve an amount of swears that feels accurate to its preteen audience.
Rated 06 Apr 2015
Rated 28 Oct 2014
69
36th
A delightful monster comedy that brings together and reinvents so many classic Universal monsters. How can a horror fan not smile?
Rated 28 Oct 2014
Rated 22 Apr 2010
68
49th
Successfully manages to blend lightweight scares with a sense of not-so-dumb fun. Surprisingly the worst things here are the monsters who get neutered and hobbled down to child size. And yeah, if I'd have seen this as a kid it would have been awesome.
Rated 22 Apr 2010
Rated 12 Mar 2010
60
30th
This is pure B-movie kid horror adventure cheese with terrible acting. You would think this was shot on a shoestring budget but it cost $12,000,000 to make which was considerable during the 80's considering Goonies only cost $19 mill. You could tell the director Fred Dekker loves film but his "vision" would probably work better on a smaller scale. This is full of goofy lines and silly monsters but probably not too bad for kids.
Rated 12 Mar 2010
Rated 30 Apr 2008
80
43rd
Nostalgia fest indeed. Lots of stuff made me laugh, including, sadly, when the black guy died. :(
Rated 30 Apr 2008
Rated 10 Oct 2024
60
55th
Probably would’ve loved this if I were a kid
Rated 10 Oct 2024
Rated 12 Apr 2023
62
39th
Fun little kids movie. Frankenstein's monster deserves the world. Kinda sad that they bully one of their friends all the time though.
Rated 12 Apr 2023
Rated 20 Aug 2022
69
45th
So close to being another 80s classic, but it doesn't have a good enough script. It's also pretty fair to say the script is objectively offensive at times.
Rated 20 Aug 2022
Rated 21 Oct 2021
60
23rd
Оценка - 60 Общая - 59 Нарратив - 3 Сценарий - 6 Постановка - 5 Целостность - 5 Монтаж - 5 Выполнение своей цели - 6.5 Флоу - 5 Жанр - 6.5 Личное - 6 Атмосфера - 6 Эмоции - 4.5 Актерская игра - 4 Саундтрек - 4 Синематографи - 6 Визуал - 6 Звук - 5 Продакшн дизайн - 8 Костюмы - 8 Развлечение - 8
Rated 21 Oct 2021
Rated 18 Oct 2021
85
87th
100yearsagovanhelsingetctried/theyblewit:P+goodcharacters/jokes+adaddoesntseeactuallymonsterincloset:P+sissaysvirgin-oldguysaysbacktomyplaceforsomepieLOL+notvirginlool-stevebutdoesntcountetc-doesntcount!?+frankensteinhelped
Rated 18 Oct 2021
Rated 22 Jul 2021
63
25th
Quirky, charming monster romp, obscure but no-doubt beloved by adolescents of the era - it has aged well. Perhaps the plot lacks a bit of complexity by the standards of modern kids films, but the goofy characterisation and a prototypically witty screenplay from Black/Dekker keeps it entertaining throughout. Also a little crude and janky at times, but unlike most of the better known 80s output it's cheeky/geeky enough to get away with it! | +Positive Sibling Bond +Ludicrous one-liners
Rated 22 Jul 2021
Rated 19 Jul 2020
73
61st
Stephen King Rules
Rated 19 Jul 2020
Rated 21 Aug 2018
54
8th
Remember when kids movies were wildly inappropriate? Unfortunately, while this is chock full of neat visuals and fun lines, the movie itself is all over the goddamn place. It's a tonal nightmare that never eases us into a single moment naturally. And what's baffling is it's only 80 minutes long. They could've taken a little more time with characters and relationships, because that's the core of these 80s flicks: stock kid characters who actually feel bonded to one another.
Rated 21 Aug 2018
Rated 05 Mar 2018
60
33rd
stephen king rules
Rated 05 Mar 2018
Rated 22 Feb 2018
65
60th
Dekker's career was arguably short lived because of his inability to free himself from his formative influences, but T.M.S is an affectionate tribute to old Universal horrors while distinguishing itself as quality period kids fare. The assemblage of classic monsters alone is enough to satiate nostalgic cravings, and the kids have real attitude and chemistry without being annoying. It's surprisingly well shot too and ends with a bang, even if it shows obvious signs of post-production tinkering.
Rated 22 Feb 2018
Rated 03 Oct 2017
80
73rd
My favorite part is how the first thing on Dracula's checklist is to get a cool Dracula car. This is just a fun ride from start to finish.
Rated 03 Oct 2017
Rated 12 Nov 2016
85
58th
B+
Rated 12 Nov 2016
Rated 28 Sep 2016
55
25th
It's a movie that may have worked for me in its day, but isn't nearly up to Goonies-level fun.
Rated 28 Sep 2016
Rated 10 Jun 2016
57
57th
Pretty good action/horror flick for the whole family, though it's somewhat dated and contains way more vulgar language, guns and smoking than would be allowed today. At it's best, it resembles the Amblin films like e.g. Gremlins, Goonies, but doesn't quite reach that level. Maybe it's the limited budget, or the monsters which are not as memorable as one could hope. Script by Fred Dekker and Shane Black still feels fresh, but Dekker isn't fully able to take advantage of it in the director's seat.
Rated 10 Jun 2016
Rated 24 Jan 2016
80
72nd
It surprisingly gets better and better throughout, from a typical prologue to typical openings to a ride that gets more and more fun as the film goes on. The friendship between the little girl and Frankenstein was the sweetest friendship without doing or saying much.
Rated 24 Jan 2016
Rated 19 Dec 2015
48
4th
I remember enjoying this as a kid, but I'm not a big B-movie buff these days so even with nostalgia goggles I found this to be fairly hit-or-miss (mostly the latter). There are some laughs to be had (mostly of the so-bad-it's-good type), so I won't count out the possibility of revisiting this on some future Halloween, especially if I'm in a silly sort of mood, but I can't recommend it in general.
Rated 19 Dec 2015
Rated 29 Oct 2015
70
19th
Something about this movie just feels very off to me.
Rated 29 Oct 2015
Rated 18 Oct 2015
65
36th
The little girl throwing the teddy bear at Frankenstein is a genuinely touching moment. Dracula throwing dynamite and getting shotgunned is hilarious. The mummy's unraveling is just plain fun. You already know what Wolfman has. What does Creature from the Black Lagoon do? He's just sort of there. That guy sucks.
Rated 18 Oct 2015
Rated 12 Oct 2015
25
20th
Boy, Dracula sure does love dynamite.
Rated 12 Oct 2015
Rated 10 Oct 2015
50
7th
A very 80s, and pretty bad, kid's film that wastes the premise of the old universal monsters coming together into the modern day by having the majority of the film focus on the stupid hijinx of preteens.
Rated 10 Oct 2015
Rated 05 Mar 2015
45
18th
It's difficult to work out who this film's target audience is, as it's a little too rude for kids and far too childish for teens. The young actors don't impress and Black's script is a let-down given what he is capable of. There are one or two charming moments but for the most part it's pretty drab.
Rated 05 Mar 2015
Rated 28 Oct 2014
81
51st
A really fun monster comedy film. Very funny, and enjoyable. It brings the classic Universal monsters together in one joyride full of classic tributes. Great for the Halloween season
Rated 28 Oct 2014
Rated 17 Oct 2014
75
72nd
This was a fun movie. It doesn't aim to be more than what it is. The children aren't annoying solely because of Shane Black's writing. That's basically how I talked when I was that age, but with worse timing.
Rated 17 Oct 2014
Rated 01 Feb 2014
35
9th
I might have enjoyed this as a kid, but it doesn't do much for me now. Definitely reminds me of The Goonies (1985). There was a fairly liberal amount of swearing in it, and I liked the part where it got really heavy quite suddenly with a mention of the Holocaust. Also, who knew Dracula was so into dynamite?
Rated 01 Feb 2014
Rated 17 Jul 2013
5
0th
What a horrible film. If you haven't seen this, consider yourself lucky.
Rated 17 Jul 2013
Rated 30 Aug 2012
75
60th
Think The Goonies, but way, way more awesome, and instead of some retarded troll thing, you have Frankenstein's monster, and Dracula trying to take over the world by using portals and whatever and argh! that little kid just said 'shit' ARGH! he said it again! this film is awesome.
Rated 30 Aug 2012
Rated 13 Aug 2012
60
63rd
If this flick isn't a part of your Halloween tradition, then you're doing it wrong
Rated 13 Aug 2012
Rated 16 Jun 2012
91
80th
Never realized as a kid that the Scary German Guy was a Holocaust survivor
Rated 16 Jun 2012
Rated 17 Sep 2011
77
79th
Repesents everything great about the 80s. Also clarifies what would happen if you explode a werewolf.
Rated 17 Sep 2011
Rated 18 Jun 2011
3
8th
As a kid, it was one of my favorite movies. Now, it's hard to deny how much a product of its era this is. The '80s really did spawn a lot of shit.
Rated 18 Jun 2011
Rated 03 Jun 2011
70
57th
A bit silly, even amateurish, at times, but Shane Black's wicked, snappy and well paced script makes it good, clean fun...Like this line from Dracula to a 5-year old girl: "Give me the amulet, you bitch."
Rated 03 Jun 2011
Rated 07 Apr 2011
50
26th
Promissing beginning. Moderate fun.
Rated 07 Apr 2011
Rated 27 Dec 2009
63
67th
"Creature stole my twinkie!". Movies like this makes me want the 80's to come back. This movie is so unpretentiously and genuinely fun and cheesy, that it's easy to forgive all flaws and simply love it.
Rated 27 Dec 2009
Rated 21 Jun 2009
9
92nd
My rating is 100% nostalgia based. My cynical adult self would probably hate it and go off about how unrealistic a child's movie about werewolf balls is.
Rated 21 Jun 2009
Rated 28 Feb 2009
70
68th
"...unbridled fun."
Rated 28 Feb 2009
Rated 18 Nov 2008
40
44th
Childhood favourite.
Rated 18 Nov 2008
Rated 20 Oct 2008
80
59th
One of my favorite flicks when I was a kid, it still holds a lot of nostalgic value for me. Basically a horror version of The Goonies, only better.
Rated 20 Oct 2008
Rated 30 Sep 2008
5
3rd
See what happens if you DON'T say no to drugs???
Rated 30 Sep 2008
Rated 06 Sep 2008
60
43rd
Extremely silly, but quite a bit of fun. Compare it to VAN HELSING: both just want to be kickin' homages to the Universal Monsters. Both are poorly directed (Dekker has more enthusiasm than skill, Somers has more ego than skill). Both are right off the wall. But this one is everything that VAN HELSING wants to be and isn't. VAN HELSING cost the world to make and is a load of rubbish -- but THE MONSTER SQUAD was made on the cheap and I'd gladly watch it again.
Rated 06 Sep 2008
Rated 12 Jul 2008
86
85th
The summary says Dracula is alive. It should say the 80s slang is alive. this movie rules. That kid that wears the leather jacket, sunglasses, and rides a bicycle is tough as nails. AND ONLY IN JUNIOR HIGH!
Rated 12 Jul 2008
Rated 21 May 2008
72
71st
Surprisingly entertaining. I went into it gritting my teeth since it's a kid's movie, and all I knew of it was what the 80's VHS cover looked like. But even though it's stupid, it's no dumber than The Goonies, and the monsters are a lot of fun. Parts of it are quite witty and I must admit that the ending made me cry.
Rated 21 May 2008
Rated 15 Oct 2007
2
15th
Man, I haven't seen this in a loooong time, but I do remember really liking it when I was a kid, even though my memories of the movie itself are really spotty and vague. A pretty fun concept for kids and pulled off in an effective and enjoyable manner.
Rated 15 Oct 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
50th
I love this movie - used to watch it all the time as a kid. It scared me, made me laugh, and left an impression on me.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 09 Apr 2007
60
48th
"Wolfman don't have nards"
Stupid fun for the kiddies.
Rated 09 Apr 2007
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Directed by:
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