Monster Island (2004) Reviews

• a true cable-tv surprise

  donnyg2004-03-12

  This little flick was way above average for cable-tv fare. In fact, it was quite good on its own terms, mixing a simple but entertaining teen storyline with some surprising satire of corporate t.v. practices and clever, affectionate nods to the monster movies of Bert I. Gordon and Ray Harryhausen. In terms of acting, the younger members of the cast acquit themselves well (especially Mary Elizabeth Winstead) but it's Adam West who steals the show. His take on the 'grizzled scientist' archetype is campily amusing and genuinely likable all at once - the kind of witty celebrity-cameo perf you'd expect from a latter-day John Waters film. The filmmakers also deserve a round of applause for bypassing the usual lame CGI effects in favor of genuine stop-motion animation - it seals the film's b-movie appeal. In deference to 'gceomer,' this may not be LORD OF THE RINGS but it is a thoroughly likable little genre flick that is well worth the time for those of us predisposed to such fare.

• Fun, campy adventure

  Wuchakk2014-08-28

  Released to TV in 2004, "Monster Island" is a fun, campy adventure with intentionally bad non-special effects that combines elements of movies like 1961's "Mysterious Island," "King Kong," "The Land that Time Forgot" and "Scooby-Doo" (but without the dog); it pokes fun at the stop-motion effects from decades ago and even has a character named after stop-motion guru Ray Harryhausen, played by Adam West. I'm surprised at the bad reviews, which shows these people didn't "get it," because "Monster Island" delivers the goods in practically every department. For one, the adventure story works even though it's obviously not to be taken too serious; it's just serious enough. Secondly, the cast is great, which includes an excellent assortment of women -- cutie Chelan Simmons, blond dancer Jana Berengel, Carmen Electra, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, etc. And, thirdly, a notable score and soundtrack (including the main song "Jungle Fever" sung by Carmen). Really, everything just clicks for a highly entertaining, fun adventure movie. Around the mid-point I realized that I had stumbled on to something special with the introduction of Dr. Harryhausen's ugly-but-cute pet Rudy and the subsequent nigh-moving scene between Dr. Harryhausen and Maddy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The way Maddy starts to morph into the queen (or goddess) of the Matambas due to the tribal necklace is another highlight. Some might argue that it's crazy to give a film like "Monster Island" such a high rating, but I'm grading it according to what it is and what it aspires to achieve: "Monster Island" is a campy TV-movie with intentionally bad F/X and a fun adventure story, which is taken just serious enough. With this in mind, it's superlative on practically every level and, in my opinion, is more entertaining than "Goonies," the two "Scooby-Doo" movies, "At the Earth's Core" (which isn't saying much, lol) and even "Star Wars" (yes, there are some Star Wars elements). In other words, I'd happily watch "Monster Island" before any of these five movies. The film was shot in British Columbia and runs 92 minutes. GRADE: A

• What's Not To Like?

  blamire2004-03-21

  A really fun retro science fiction-adventure-monster movie with a pleasing cast, good sense of humor, fantastic traditional stop-motion animation, a remote island, a lost tribe, giant bugs, a rubber suited monster, a papier-mache volcano and Adam West as wacky scientist Dr. Harryhausen. The story moves along quickly and is told with considerable wit. There's also a nice use of obvious miniatures of the jungle, a boat and the island itself which really help convey the feeling of a 50's adventure film. Adam West gives a bravura performance in a highly amusing role. When I first heard about this film I had my doubts but we were really pleasantly surprised by the results. A classic Saturday matinee come to life. Well done to all involved!

• Great fun.

  willywants2004-12-07

  A group of boozehound teens win a trip to a tropical island in the Bermuda triangle. Everything goes fine at first, until they find out a mad scientist's monstrous fauna have taken interest in them. 'Monster Island' is a perfect throwback to the monster movies of the 1950's. The makers throw virtually everything you can think of into this flick. Stop motion monsters, giant insects, a contaminated island, unconvincing miniatures, explosions, a mad scientist (Played by Adam West, named 'Dr. Harryhausen' no less!) and more. The intentionally campy effects are fun and the fast-pace make the film great fun for bad movie enthusiasts who are looking for something cheesy but enjoyable. My rating for 'Monster Island'-7/10. ABOUT THE DVD: The picture for 'Monster Island' is presented in a full frame 1.33:1 transfer. Not a bad looking picture at all. I noticed a little grain early on but that quickly fades away and colors are bright, skin tones are good and there's minimal edge enhancement. The 2.0 Dolby sound is good, dialogue is clear and crisp and the various pop tunes and sound effects are judicially used and remain effects throughout. Extras on the disc are plentiful. There a roughly 15 minute featurette that covers the films various effects, stop motion armatures, miniatures, and the construction of the large-scale creature effects. Next up are interviews with various cast and crew members, an enjoyable feature in which everyone expresses they're views on the film and are obviously had a good time making the film. Also included are scene selection, the trailer for the film, a French language track and awesome animated menus. My rating for the DVD: 8/10.

• Not Bad At All!!

  coon12-12010-07-14

  I noticed one reviewer said people didn't want to see movies like Monster Island, they wanted Lord of The Rings. Speak for yourself man, I loved this film and much prefer it over anything like Lord Of The Rings. I will watch anything with sexy Carmen Electra and this movie was entertaining and funny at the same time. The effects are cheesy, but that is part of the charm of this movie and it did remind me of the old Land of the Lost TV show, of which I am also a fan. If you get the chance watch this film and I bet if you have an open mind you'll enjoy it for what it is, simply entertainment that does it's job well. I bought the DVD and have watched this many times. Some people are just too picky about what they watch.