‘The Monster Squad’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Cult Favorite Honors The Horror Classics

You know who to call when you have ghosts, but who do you call about monsters? The Monster Squad—a group of young kids devoted to protecting their suburban neighborhood from strange things that go bump in the night. They ain’t afraid of no ghouls! Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr) escapes Van Helsing (Jack Gwillim) and adjourns to modern-day Earth in search of an ancient amulet that will grant him final control over the delicate balance between good and evil in the world. To help him, the creepy Count calls on some old friends: the weird Wolfman (Carl Thibault), grotesque Gill-Man (Tom Woodruff Jr.), mildewed Mummy (Michael MacKay) and freaky Frankenstein (Tom Noonan). Standing in their way—The Monster Squad! Produced by Peter Hyams (Running Scared), written by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) and Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps) and directed by Dekker, the cult smash The Monster Squad makes ghost-busting look like child’s play! Monsters designed by Stan Winston (Aliens).

For thoughts on The Monster Squad, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/XVdHVOn5xZ0?si=QLhwY0u3MOU_Gl0D&t=2880]

Video Quality

The Monster Squad debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a top-notch 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer derived from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. This release does come with a Blu-Ray disc which is derived from the same 4K master. This movie was always one of the ones you heard rumbles about from fans about the desire for a proper 4K UHD Blu-Ray, and the wait has proven to be very worth it. Even judging against the remastered Blu-Ray, you will find there are some substantial improvements with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. The Dolby Vision/HDR provides very natural, deep colors throughout the pleasant palette which gets the most out of the clothing, production design, and lighting choices. Black levels are thankfully deep and allow the image to maintain a notable amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Highlights are brighter with more stability while avoiding instances of blooming. 

This transfer consistently wows as it flirts with perfection meaning virtually nothing in the way of softness or fluctuation. The natural film grain remains intact while always resolving naturally and free of swarming or clumping. The optical effects can lead to a slight downturn in quality, but even these moments are handled better on the 4K UHD. Skin tones are firm, and the clarity of the transfer gives you a rich amount of facial detail. You are treated to so much texture and detail within the transfer which makes the world and central monsters feel alive. Print damage has been cleaned up immensely with not much at all present to foul up the viewing experience. Kino Classics has done a fantastic job here. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio lossless track that does have a clear winner. The surround sound track offers up some good expansion of the soundscape, but there are moments that get a bit overcooked sonically. Thankfully the original DTS-HD 2.0 track does not exhibit these limitations. The journey provides some finessed texture to the world as each environment reveals unique sonic details that flesh things out. The sound is rendered with precision throughout with no careless placement. Dialogue comes through clearly and plays well with competing elements. The low end digs a bit deeper in certain moments to accentuate the family-friendly thrills. The memorable soundtrack establishes the appropriate tone which radiates out with pleasing fidelity. While we wish the DTS-HD 5.1 track had greater stability, the standard audio presentation is very good all around. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentaries: Director Fred Dekker embarks on two commentary tracks with different guests in which they discuss various aspects of the production including the development of and ideas behind different scenes, the disagreements with the producers, the shooting conditions, the visual aesthetic of the film, the background of the various cast members, the challenges that were faced, and much more that makes for an enjoyable listen. 

• • Audio Commentary #1: Director Fred Dekker and Cinematographer Bradford May

• • Audio Commentary #2: Director Fred Dekker with Actors Andre Gower, Ryan Lambert, and Ashley Bank

• Monster Squad Forever – Five-Part Documentary: A terrific 76-minute documentary is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the direction of Fred Dekker, the makeup and special effects, the look of the film, the score, the casting of the film, the legacy of the feature, and much more. 

• A Conversation with Frankenstein – Archival Piece with Tom Noonan: A nine-minute interview with “Frankenstein” who humorously discusses his decades in the business. 

• Deleted Scenes: A 14-minute collection of unused moments from the film that were culled from various sources. 

• Animated Storyboard Sequence: A look at some storyboards and how they compare to the finished film. 

• Stills Gallery: A collection of images from the production of the film is provided here. 

• TV Spots: A minute-long collection of TV Spots is provided. 

• Theatrical Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided here. 

• Wolfman’s Got Nards: The 88-minute documentary from 2018 co-written and directed by The Monster Squad star Andre Gower is provided in this package on its own disc. There are interviews provided with Shane Black, Fred Dekker, Seth Green, Adam Goldberg, Andre Gower, Heather Langenkamp, Adam Green, Chuck Russell, and many more which discuss The Monster Squad and cult films in general. 

Final Thoughts

The Monster Squad has its share of dated elements – mostly in the unfortunate use of certain hateful terms – but anyone who consumes media from this time has to wrestle with such qualities. Outside of this, the adventure is good fun with its respect for the classic Universal monster films and practical effects work. It might not hit as hard if you did not grow up with this one, but there is fun to be had at any age. Kino Classics has given this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade with a sterling A/V presentation and some unbelievable legacy special features. If you are a fan, this is the well-rounded upgrade you have been dreaming about. Recommended 

The Monster Squad is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.