Monster Squad (20th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

December 8th, 2009 Blu-ray-au Posted in Blu-ray Movie Reviews | Comments Off

Monster Squad (20th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

?2,000 year old dead guys do not get up and walk away by themselves.?

While we anxiously await the release of Goonies on Blu-ray, Lionsgate made the wise move to dig through their catalog and give us something else to feel nostalgic about. Monster Squad admittedly failed to achieve the same level of undying admiration I had for such films as Goonies or Stand by Me, but that never stopped my friends and I from staying up late watching my buddy?s tattered VHS copy of the film (a television broadcast recording on a tape that barely surviv…

Video

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 35Mbps), Monster Squad offers a surprisingly proficient visual experience on Blu-ray. I?ve grown accustomed to the weak offerings of cable television over the years, so watching Monster Squad in high definition seemed like a revelatory experience in comparison. Fine object detail is afforded a substantial upgrade over prior versions, with a tremendous boost in clarity during all but a handful of scenes. I was i…

Audio

Given the age of the film I didn?t expect an overly bombastic audio experience, but the lossless mix still retains the original cheesy feel of the source material, while managing to up the ante a notch or two. To clarify, you?ll notice the same front-heavy directionality of prior releases, but a noticeable step up in the clarity of the various elements in the mix. Dialogue is well-defined, environmental effects are crisp, and the classic 80?s soundtrack is afforded a subtle boost in dynamics. …

Supplements

Easily the most valuable portion of the supplemental package is a present-day behind-the-scenes documentary covering many aspects of the film?s production. I?ve separated each section below, but you have the option of playing the entire feature from start to finish (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0).

Part 1 (9:04 min): The Monster Master: Director Fred Dekker gives a present day interview where he reflects on his film career leading up to Monster Squad, and reveals some of his early infl…

Final Words

I have zero qualms about giving this release a whole-hearted recommendation, but need to offer a note of caution to parents who might be considering the film as a Christmas or Birthday present for their youngster. Monster Squad contains several scenes that will surely seem disturbing to viewers under the age of 10-12, and the potty-mouthed children in the film might give your kids the impression that foul language is cool (speaking from personal experience). I?m certainly not one to giv……

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