The Munsters premiered on Netflix earlier this year courtesy of filmmaker Rob Zombie, and immediately sparked controversy from not just fans of the classic 1960s sitcom, but admirers of Zombie’s other movies as well. As his first PG venture into family-friendly entertainment, Zombie’s take on the beloved series was met with a mixture of praise and backlash.
The passion project aimed to pay homage to the original series while modernizing it for a new generation of viewers. But with a 35% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear many viewers felt the movie missed the mark. Let’s look at why The Munsters failed to live up to expectations and why it faced such harsh criticism from fans.
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Munsters Remake vs. Origin Story
Universal PicturesNetflix
Looking at the backlash of The Munsters, it’s important to understand that the movie is an origin story rather than a remake of the original series. While some of the characters and plot points remained true to the original, this movie focuses on Herman’s (Jeff Daniel Phillips) creation, falling in love with Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie), and what their life was like before moving to Mockingbird Lane.
The original ’60s horror-comedy series was campy, lighthearted, and full of slapstick comedy, which Zombie does an excellent job of capturing in his version. Even with this, it’s easy to see why viewers who were expecting a remake of the original series came out disappointed. There’s a runtime of nearly two hours, with the family only arriving at their Mockingbird Lane home well over an hour into the movie. Part of the charm of the original Munsters was the fact that they were an odd family living in a regular suburb. A majority of the scenes are spent in Transylvania (and one very odd honeymoon to Paris), making it easy for viewers with high expectations of a remake to lose the familiarity that they had with the original show.
In an interview with Variety, Zombie explains how the movie was always meant to be an origin story and not necessarily a remake of the show. “That was always my vision, even 20 years ago,” said Zombie. “To start the movie on Mockingbird Lane and assume people are totally up to speed seems weird to me.”
Being set before the series means Eddie, a fan-favorite character, is also absent. The bulk of the plot focuses on Herman and Lily’s blossoming love story, but does feature Grandpa (Daniel Roebuck) as a side character.
Limitations on Cinematography
Waxwork RecordsNetflix
Rob Zombie’s regular filmography of exploitation horror films showcases his incredible attention to detail and creative visuals in every aspect of the filmmaking process. But with The Munsters, he faced restrictions from Universal on shooting the movie in black and white. This bold decision to break away from the format of the original was met with disappointment from viewers expecting something more familiar.
Zombie explained to Variety that he didn’t let the setback dampen his creative vision. “Sometimes you’re dealt a certain scenario. You can walk away from it, but that doesn’t create anything. You figure out how to deal with it. Sometimes you create something you would have never created.”
While the bright colors didn’t appeal to everyone, there’s no denying this film is aesthetically beautiful. They were able to create a world filled with vibrant hues, stunning cinematography, and remarkable set design. The neon lighting and bright colors showcased a unique take on the original series, but it’s understandable why some felt this didn’t uphold the traditional style of the show.
Pacing and Detailed Plot
The Munsters also faced criticism for its pacing and odd storyline. Running close to two hours long, some scenes felt dragged out and unimportant to the plot, while the first portion of the movie in Transylvania tries to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, making the transitions between sections of the movie feel choppy and abrupt.
The movie also features a lot of bizarre plot points, such as Herman’s rock band and the awkward Paris honeymoon. While these moments were meant to add a sense of whimsy and fun, some viewers felt it took up screen time that could have been used on scenes at Mockingbird Lane.
Having the family arrive at their new home on Halloween was a clever choice and the perfect transition, but it left many wanting more. The end of the movie is, without a doubt, the best part, but the slow build-up to get there was a difficult hurdle for some viewers. Additionally, much of the humor was just too juvenile and dumb, not just for fans of Rob Zombie but even for fans of comedy in general.
Straight to Streaming & DVD Release
The Munsters was released on Netflix for streaming on September 27, 2022, with a simultaneous DVD release. With no theatrical release, the movie could not be experienced in all its glory on the big screen. Minimal promotion, quiet marketing, and the fact that it was quickly released to streaming accounts for the movie’s limited success.
With the incredibly detailed and thought-out backstory Zombie created, it seems this movie would have thrived as a Netflix series with several episodes versus a two-hour movie, just as Wednesday recently did. This would give ample time to both the backstory and more familiar Munsters’ antics on Mockingbird Lane.
Jeff Daniel Phillips and Sheri Moon Zombie’s performances are some of the most underrated elements of this movie. They both put in tremendous effort to create unique and true-to-the-characters portrayals of Herman and Lily Munster. A series would have allowed these two to shine even more by giving them more time to develop their characters and relationship.
If you haven’t seen The Munsters, it might be worth a watch. It has its flaws, but there are some truly stunning visuals and plenty of heart. It’s currently streaming on Netflix.
