Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Monster Slayer is right, cheese is back baby!!!, 4 Oct 2008
This movie is everything it says it is, funny, cheesey, scary, homage-ie! (I doubt that is a word!) the monsters are good old fashion non CGI which gives the film charm. Horror and especially Troma fans will like this one and it does leave you wanting more. My opinion, a hit!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bought it for a laugh, and got lots of laughs., 21 Oct 2008
I saw this in the shops, and was intrigued by the title, noting that it was a horror comedy. I always like those. I read the back of the DVD case, and the plot sounded interesting. Then I saw that Robert Englund was in it. Sold!
There's a good basic official Amazon synopsis of the plot further up the page, and I don't want to go into much more detail than that, otherwise I'll spoil some surprises and revelations in the film.
"Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer" is a very good horror comedy. The laughs and gross-out moments are fairly steady, growing to a pretty nifty crescendo at the end of the film. The monsters (of which there are several), all range in quality from decently disgusting to masterpieces of foam-rubber costuming. The Cyclops, while he doesn't get much screen time, is by far one of the best movie monsters I've seen in a long time. The main monster, purported to be a Japanese demon, does actually look a lot like the kinds of disturbing otherworldly creatures seen in animé: swollen, ravenous, with row upon row of jagged teeth in a gaping maw set into a face which is a groteque parody of a human's. And lots and lots of far-reaching tentacles. It moves a bit like an oversized puppet (which it is, actually), but most horror comedy fans are forgiving of a bit of cheeziness if the story is good and there's lots of gory violence. Which, happily, is the case with this film.
As stated in the other reviews of my Amazon critic colleagues here, there are gags and homages galore, though one seems to have slipped through the cracks. As a Canadian film, I find it a letdown that Jack Brooks didn't make a Red Green tribute to The Handyman's Secret Weapon when he breaks out a roll of duct tape. Perhaps if they make a sequel . . . ? (Hint, hint.)
The acting and casting are all of high quality. Robert Englund, of course, can -- and often does -- go from masterfully subtle to hilariously over-the-top to creepy as Hell in an eyeblink, once again showing how he managed to accrue his world-wide legions of fans. Trevor Matthews does very well as the title character at not one, nor two, but THREE different ages (late teens, mid-twenties, and mid-thirties) AND as the Forest Troll. Daniel Kash (who I've also seen as Pvt. Spunkmeyer the drop-ship pilot from "Aliens" and Detective Louis Gardino from "Due South") does a good turn as Jack Brooks' put-upon counsellor. All the other actors are very good in this piece. In particular, Rachel Skarsten really caught my attention as Eve. This is more of a personal thing, as I once dated an ambitious, bleached-blonde nag of similar disposition; it was so much like seeing my first ex up on the screen that I felt my gorge and blood pressure rising at everything she said or did. Kudos to her for an unerring character study of my first girlfriend! May her (Rachel Skarsten's, that is) career continue, so long as if they make a sequel, the character of Eve gets killed off, slowly and horribly.
The DVD extras are all pretty darn good, with some nifty behind-the-scenes secrets and tips, although the image blurs and pixellates on these "making of" parts if the camera pans around. The feature commentary is fun to listen to, sounding more like a bunch of drinking buddies shooting the breeze and joking around over some beers than serious technical discussions.
If you like horror comedies, I'm fairly certain you'll also get a kick out of this film. I recommend renting it first to see if it's your thing, then buying it if it fits the bill.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Genuinely Funny 80's Throwback Horror!, 7 Oct 2008
I purchased this on the strength of all the internet hype surrounding it, not hurt by any means by the appearence of Robert Englund on the cast list.
I didnt expect much from the acting but I was pleasantly suprised, Englund does his usual schtick but the actor Trevor Matthews rocked the kazbaa, fantastic dialogue, great old school effects and hot chicks?...sign me up Mr Brooks.
Now how's about a sequel..pls
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