There is something about movies that are hard to find that adds to their charm. Case in point: HERE COME THE MUNSTERS, a TV movie that could have been the jumping-off point to a reboot of the original TV series, but was ultimately, sadly a one-shot deal that has since been very difficult to get a hold of in the U.S., while its (very inferior) follow-up THE MUNSTERS’ SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS has had multiple printings. Having had the good fortune of rediscovering HERE COME THE MUNSTERS last Halloween on Tubi, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it: It’s the best reboot of the original television series we’ve had so far.

Originally airing on Fox on Halloween 1995, the movie decides to follow the successful trend as led by films like THE ADDAMS FAMILY and THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE and brings the Munster clan into the even more frightening world of the ’90s, where the smog is thick and political corruption runs rampant as they navigate their new home in Los Angeles and attempt to solve the mystery of their missing family member and to save Herman’s sister. Along the way, wacky misadventures ensue that would be right at home in the original series: Herman attempts to find work and takes multiple different jobs, Eddie transforms in school, terrorizing his classmates, and Grandpa and Herman run afoul of the police in humorous fashion. HERE COME THE MUNSTERS captures the spirit of the original series, updating things just enough, without having to constantly make commentaries on how things have changed so drastically since the 1960s, as its predecessor The Munsters Today was wont to do. It also successfully brings back the original cast members, in a humorous cameo that allows a bit of a passing-of-the-torch, as it were.

Casting is crucial when it comes to remaking such a beloved series, and this movie pulls it off in spades. Edward Hermann is every bit the Herman Munster that Fred Gwynne was, without devolving into a parody. He brings the aw-shucks whimsy of Gwynne, while instilling the character with more of the goofy charm and some fatherly warmth that Hermann would showcase in some of his other roles. The late Robert Morse portrays Grandpa and, while his portrayal tends to lean a bit too close to Al Lewis, Morse still gives it everything he’s got and appears to be having an absolute ball while playing the lecherous old vampire. The only real issue comes from underwriting Lily and Eddie, as Veronica Hamel and Mathew Botuchis do the best they can with what they’re given but feel like they’re just in the movie to ensure that people remember that this is about The Munsters.

Is HERE COME THE MUNSTERS perfect? Not by a long shot, but does that mean it deserves to be forgotten? Absolutely not. This movie acts as the perfect precursor to a new series, it manages to add warmth and heart while being extremely funny and never downplaying what made The Munsters a great television show. It provides something for all ages. So why has this seemingly become harder to get a hold of than the Ark of the Covenant? Truth be told, I have no exact answer. It may be a rights issue, it may be that Universal needed a tax write-off like Warner Bros., or it may just be, sadly, due to a lack of interest, which is a genuine shame.

With Rob Zombie’s latest reboot a success, perhaps there is a slim chance that we can finally get HERE COME THE MUNSTERS a proper release stateside. Fans of the original series would have a wonderful time with this film and the joy that it brings. If you are able to get a hold of it on DVD (currently available in the UK), I suggest you do so, because this reboot deserves more love and respect than it has ever received previously, and it may open the door to a whole new generation of Munsters fans.

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Kevin Uhrich

Kevin Uhrich is a film fan with a love of horror and action especially. He can also recite the entirety of BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA by heart if asked. He is the host of the Video Confidential Podcast.

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Tags: al lewis, Amanda Bearse, Bill Prady, Brian George, Butch Patrick, Christine Taylor, Dee Wallace, Edward Herrmann, Fred Gwynne, Irwin Keyes, John Landis, Judy Gold, Keone Young, Mary Woronov, Max Grodénchik, Pat Priest, Reboots, Robert Ginty, Robert Morse, Sean O'Bryan, the munsters, Troy Evans, TV, Veronica Hamel, Yvonne De Carlo