Jack Brooks Monster Slayer (2007)

Jack Brooks is a plumber with serious anger issues.  As a young boy he sees a monster brutally kill and eat his family, leaving him an orphan and alone.  But of course no one believes him and he grows up frustrated and angry with himself for not doing anything to save his family.  All of this changes when Jack runs into the professor that is teaching his night class at the local community college.  You see the professor has been possessed by an ancient evil which one night starts to mangle and kill Jack’s classmates.  Unlike when he was a child Jack decides to do something to stop the monsters this time, and becomes Jack Brooks Monster Slayer. 

Okay this is the kind of movie that keeps me from giving up on horror no matter how many PG-13 or Saw movies that I’m forced to sit through.  Jack Brooks is a funny, clever horror movie that delivers both laughs and genuine scares.  The story jumps right into the action and never lets up, making sure that something is always happening to keep the audience’s attention.  I can’t say the characters are realistic, but then this is a horror movie about monsters so who cares.  The characters are well rounded and written, especially the Jack Brooks character. The dialogue has a few zingers in it, but doesn’t force too many one-liners.  Delivering the dialogue is a cast that is headed up by newcomer Trevor Matthews who is excellent and carries the movie as lead character Jack Brooks.  Also it is nice to see Robert Englund in a role that isn’t just a glorified cameo.  His turn as the professor turned monster is fun to watch, especially at the beginning where he is just starting to go “bad”.  

Now as much as I enjoyed the story and the cast this movie does an even better job with the effects.  This movie sports not one or two rubber monster suits.  No they have three full on rubber monsters and a couple demon/zombie looking creatures added in as well.  From the demon slug creature to the werewolf looking forest troll to the one eyed Cyclops I was in heaven.  Not only is it amazing that the filmmakers managed this many practical effects on what had to be a smaller budget, but they all look awesome.  I had almost convinced myself that practical effects like this were a lost art form in the day and age of cheap CGI.  If for no other reason the great effects are enough for me to pick this movie up and watch it frequently. 

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed Jack Brooks Monster Slayer.  Great story, good cast, and awesome practical effects make this one of the best new horror movies of the last couple of years.  Toss in that it can be had for around $10 and you just can’t go wrong.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2008 John Shatzer