MONSTER BRAWL (2011)

Streaming on Tubi!
Directed by Jesse T. Cook
Written by Jesse T. Cook
Starring Dave Foley, Art Hindle, Jimmy Hart, Robert Maillet, Kevin Nash, Narrated by Lance Henriksen

There’s a lot to love about MONSTER BRAWL. You don’t see many monster mash-ups these days. Films like VAN HELSING, UNDERWORLD, and FREDDY VS JASON try to offer the goods of battling cinematic creatures, but all have failed in one sense or another. Written and directed by Jesse T. Cook, MONSTER BRAWL combines two fun genres: horror and wrestling. Though some might attest that they can be one and the same, it is the first time I’ve seen the two genres spliced in such a way. Basically, the film is a tournament where monsters battle it out in a wrestling ring. Now, if that last sentence has you rolling your eyes, well, this might not be the film for you. But having grown up with a deep love for the sideshow that was the WWF in the 80’s and early 90’s, I found myself endeared to this film.

What strikes me as impressive about MONSTER BRAWL was the treatment of the various monsters. Vampires, swamp creatures, wolfmen, mummies, witches, and all sorts of beasts and undead are all present and an a lot of time is given to explore each monster before they grapple. Though the ideas of meeting in a wrestling ring to battle is a ludicrous one, it’s played like a straight-up wrestling match with fight stats, interviews, and all kinds of pomp leading up to the brawls. KIDS IN THE HALL alum Dave Foley peacocks his comedic chops as the “Mean” Gene Okerlund of the show, with Art Hindle acting as his gruff Jesse “The Body” Ventura-like co-anchor. Both actors announce the matches as if the world’s safety depended on it. Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart even shows up for some on-the-ground ring announcing.

One thing that I think is lacking in this film is that there is no crowd to cheer on the monsters. The crowd has always been an integral part in wrestling. The constant roar, the signage, the cheers and groans–all of that adds to the classic gladiatorial feel of it all. Here, most likely due to budget, there is no crowd, so scenes that could have amped up the emotional connection with the viewer is absent. I found myself thinking what this would have been like with a crowd of undead fans holding up signs and body parts in admiration or in contention to their favorite or least favorite beastie.

Not to be taken too seriously, MONSTER MASH is still a lot of fun. Though I found some of the matches to be somewhat uninspired (especially the final matchup which goes on a bit long and seems to lose fresh ideas halfway through), the cool factor of seeing these classic beasties in a ring together makes for a good time. With a fun cast of comedians, classic wrestling stars, and SHERLOCK HOLMES/300 giant Robert Maillet as an awe-inspiring Frankenstein’s Monster, all narrated by the gravelly yet soft voice of Lance Henriksen, MONSTER BRAWL is worth checking out for a chuckle or three.

Check out the trailer here!!