Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2008) 7/10

I love 80's horror flicks, especially late 80's. The films from that period were just so damn fun. Great creatures all created without cgi, heaps of gore and an optimistic vibe. Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer attempts to recapture this time and does a great job doing it with out being redundant.

Jack Brooks is a man with anger problems. Hes a really good guy but lets his temper get the best of him. It all started when he was a kid and saw his family eaten by a monster. Instead of telling people about it, he bottles up the painful memory causing him to explode an inappropriate times. When his teacher (played brilliantly by Robert Englund) finds an ancient evil black heart and subsequently turns into a monster, its up to Jack to use his anger to save the day.

Its very hard write a character that's deeply flawed but still lovable but this film does it very well. I really felt for Jack and was always on his side. His anger issues are delt with in a humorous fashion, mostly he just yells alot, no wife beating or dog kicking here. So yeah, he gets pissed, but he's pretty harmless. Robert Englund does a great job as the wacky science teacher and honestly turns in his best performance in years. The monsters are all very unique and all done with practical effects, no cgi here! The gore is pretty good and the pacing is fast and fun. The film is a pleasure to watch. The only problem is there aren't quite enough monsters and it takes much too long for the science teacher monster to make an appearance. This makes the film feel uneven and drops it from what would have been an 8 or a 9 to a 7 out of 10.

Fun and fast paced Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer is a great indie horror flick that demands a sequel, hell, I'd watch a slew of em if they were all done at this high level of quality. Check it out if you miss the fun 80's horror flicks as much as I do.

Gore - medium

Nudity- none

Overall - 7/10