As a kid I loved the TV series "The Munsters", but don't ask me to choose between either "The Munsters" or "The Adam's Family". Both were staples of my childhood - watching reruns on the TV with my parents and sister. Now the films were a different story, as my memory of them were hazy at best. So it was like going in fresh.

Herman and his kooky family made their big-screen debut in a spin-off from the television series, "Munster, Go Home!". This sees the loveable family heading to England (studio back lot stand-ins) for an inheritance. However they face stiff opposition from their English cousins who will do anything to stop them from gaining the title of Lord Munster. As expected there are whacky hi-jinks, smarting one-liners and running gags around the stranger-than-life characters. From Herman's clueless actions to Lily trying to keep the family out of mischief and grandpa always finding himself in trouble with his clumsy experiments. In what feels like an extended episode with a change of scenery (well, sort of) and a budget matching its TV origins, but with that in mind it stays true to what made the TV series enjoyable by steering close to the familiarity of its madcap writing making the Munsters feel right at home. There are neat little in-jokes involving superstitious townsfolk, old dark house vibes and the DRAG-U-LA! Having the original cast (with the exception of the "ugly duckling" Marilyn Nunster played by Debbie Watson) made sure the authentic twitches, costume quirks and chemistry carried over with wonderful performances by Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis and Butch Patrick. Working across from them with perfect comic interplay are British character actors Terry-Thomas and Hermione Gingold.

Of course it would have been impossible for the Munsters to take a trip to England in a 25-minute TV episode. So it's fun to see it finally happen. I'm not the world's biggest Munster fan, but I've been watching the series ever since I was a little kid and I do love it (a wee bit). This, in particular, is a fun adventure, in which Herman inherits an English title and goes to the Sceptred Isle to claim it, even in spite of the wishes of his greedy cousins, who want the title for themselves. Naturally, this movie has the same kind of rim shot-based gags that highlight the show ("I thought he was made in Germany"),but it also has a great deal of fun and some gags are really quite funny, not to mention the drastic culture shock that takes place when the Munsters-- who aren't even normal Americans-- take Great Britain by storm. So if you like "The Munsters," you should go ahead and give "Munster, Go Home!" a try. You won't be disappointed.

In 1964 when "The Munsters" debuted, it was briefly a very popular series and Munstermania hit America. The show was so popular that there were a lot of products based on the program and it ranked a very respectable #18 in the ratings. But it only lasted a couple seasons and interest diminished very quickly. Because of this, it's not surprising that this Munsters movie did poorly in theaters....a case of a film just coming out too late. It also didn't help that the studio inexplicably replaced Marilyn yet again...angering some fans.

When the film begins, Herman learns that he's just inherited a British title and he is taking his family with him to see his new estate. However, they don't know that their British relatives are god-awful people...criminals as well as folks who are planning on either chasing the Munsters back to America or kill them! They also learn that the locals HATE the British branch of the Munster family...making them anything but welcome.

So is it any good? Well, if you like the TV show, you'll likely enjoy this film....though as I mentioned above, replacing Marilyn is sure to upset some. I prefer Pat Priest and would have preferred seeing her in the film instead of the faux Marilyn. Overall, enjoyable and a must-see for Munsters fans....but others might find it all a bit too slight.

By the way, much of the film supposedly takes place aboard the ocean liner the SS United States. Well, the boat is still afloat but was recommissioned decades ago. It currently sits rotting and looking well the worse for there in a dock in Philadelphia.