Monster Brawl (2011), Lookback/Review

This movie is practically the Citizen Kane of independent B-rated horror/comedy films made in Canada. And we totally mean that in the most genuine way possible. When we saw this film listed on Netflix, we knew it would be a definite addition to this new series. With a name like Monster Brawl how could we possibly resist? And we were not disappointed with what we found. 

***Spoilers ahead***

But what is this beloved film about? As the title suggests, our favorite movie monsters battle to the death to be the reigning champion of the monster world. Or, put another way, it’s like the Celebrity Deathmatch of horror. But who are our contestants? Well there are two divisions: Creatures and The Undead. Fighting for the Creatures are: Cyclops, Werewolf, Witch Bitch, Swamp Gut. Fighting for the Undead are: Frankenstein, Zombie Man, Lady Vampire and The Mummy. There are middleweight fights and fights leading up to the heavyweight championship. It really is a pay-per-view style battle to the death. And probably the most entertaining part of the whole film is the play-by-play narrated by Buzz Chambers and “Sasquatch” Sid Tucker. Their commentary alone makes the movie totally worth watching.

So the plot goes fight by fight. There is some commentary, some background to each character and some pre-fight hype. The way it is done makes the movie incredibly funny and you might actually find yourself rooting for your favorite monster. We were a little disappointed that Witch Bitch didn’t win, but the girl power was brought by Lady Vampire so we weren’t totally dissatisfied. We also really enjoyed how Zombie Man’s defeat raised the dead in the cemetery to defend his honor. We guess we know who the Walking Dead are rooting for. We think the best fight in the whole match is Werewolf vs Swamp Gut. Werewolf is a little self-explanatory, but you’re probably wondering what the hell Swamp Gut is. Think a very smelly version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Although we are disappointed we didn’t get to see Swamp Gut’s legendary gas (yeah, we wanted a fart joke), the fight was pretty funny. In fact, all of these fights were pretty good. Including the championship (***Spoiler Alert***) of Werewolf vs Frankenstein. Especially considering this match up is a classic for horror film fans and an homage to the film Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943). And this battle is an all out brawl. But who wins? Well that’s left up in the air at the end because of a brawl interloper.

So how was it? We can’t believe we are saying this. It was actually incredible. Now, if you’re looking to get scared this movie fails miserably to deliver even a slight jump. But if you’re looking for an incredibly funny movie and one that is clearly aimed at fulfilling every monster fan’s dream this movie is for YOU. And it’s a film that is obviously created by people who know how to have fun. It is a film that never pretends to be terribly serious. In fact, they know they are being funny and they play it up. The fight commentators, played by Dave Foley and Art Hindle, steal every scene they are in. They are spot on in every way. They keep the action going and deliver a ton of laughs. They are, in many ways, the reason we are reminded so much of Celebrity Death Match. And the monsters and their trainers are wonderful as well. What can we say? We really enjoyed this film. It made us laugh and made all of our horror feels tingle. Check it out on Netflix.

If you have a suggestion for a movie Ethan should review from the Recesses of Netflix, be sure to comment below!

Den of Geek Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars