Monster Summer
It’s understandable that, as “Stranger Things” edges closer to its final season, there is the desire to look for new releases to bridge the wasteland till then especially considering how old the children may have become by the end and possible age they may have reached, it is most likely that they will possess AARP cards. Just straight up nostalgia for cheesy ’80s children’s movies, be it King’s or Spielberg’s “The Goonies.” This “Monster Summer,” an adventure film featuring David Henrie, who was prominent as a child actor and has now made his directorial debut, does the trick well enough, even as it doesn’t do much beyond playing the highest of the witchy hits.
“Summer” however, is set in the mid-90s in Martha’s Vineyard with the young Noah (‘Mason Thames’, the former lead of ‘The Black Phone’) setting out to spend time in summer with his close friends and assisting his mother, ‘Nora Zehetner’ in running her BnB while riding ten-speeds across vacant streets of the suburban area. He does however, want to be a hardcore reporter like his father who he hardly knew and died (Because, unlike pixar movies, Stephen Spielberg films can only have one parent in the family). There is one pesky issue though, the controlled town newspaper editor, portrayed endearingly by ‘Kevin James’ in a brilliant cameo with a heavy southern accent, does not care to cover the stories of the scandals Noah is trying to expose and instead wants more harmless fluff pieces to draw in tourist. It’s the same as Amity’s, right down to appearing in a Jaws-style mayor’s suit.
All this changes when a new narrative emerges as there have been some horrific abductions of children which coincide with the entrance of Miss Halverson, played by Lorraine Bracco, who with her black attire and scraggy gray locks appears to be either a divorced writer or a heap of secrets. She portrays the divorced author character but Noah clearly recognizes her differently in an odd way.
And when Noah’s friend Ben, or rather, his best friend Ben, spelled his name Noah Cottrell, got the same touch of hysteria disappeared, then returned almost unconscious Noah calls on his other friends to find out what this is all about.
As you’ve guessed, however, they require some grandmotherly love, and who better to do so than Gene (Mel Gibson), the grumpy, reclusive old neighbor who we later discover is also a retired detective with a traumatic past revolving around a missing child. Gibson has always had such a growl and a rough voice over his shoulders. It is the timbre of a much-loved dad, a perfect pairing with Thames. The two men learn to trust each other and resolve the mystery as the story unfolds. (Thames makes for a capable lead yet again, even as he’s left with little more than standing around gawking and making wisecracks).
With so many derivations and the Gibson factor, “Monster Summer” comes off as a movie that can be consigned to oblivion. And in some way, yes, it is. It is so reliant on the films it derives from that it almost fabricates them to you, from the King-y credits font to casting Patrick Renna from “The Sandlot” in a small but memorable role as the ground umpire. Gibson can play this role with his eyes closed, and he really does have to given the lines he is provided with.
(There’s a bit about how the statement “only one false accusation can destroy a person” was necessary to be said by her emotionlessly.) Nevertheless, there are also hints the kind of dismal, sorrowful energy that he infused into ‘Signs’ and ‘Mad Max’ that help to lift what is most definitely a very low budget film.
The thing looks low budget enough to let us adjust our expectations to a considerable extent, from its nice, but not very elaborate production design to the limited use of special effects. The scares are creepy enough for young children, but they won’t do much to budge a sufficiently doubtful adult. The main enigma attempts a few creatieve spins and flares, but the finale relies on a twist which is quite literally not even part of the film’s baseball subplot. Above all the others, it feels like a filler children’s adventure for the preschoolers who are in anticipation for the final chapter of the children’s blockbuster netflix series, which is both a blessing and a curse. It will not completely mesmerize you, but it may just have enough potential to lure you in for the brief ninety minutes that it takes.
Also, Watch On Putlocker.