Monster Island

_**Fun, campy adventure**_ Released to TV in 2004, "Monster Island" is a fun, campy adventure with intentionally bad non-special effects that combines elements of movies like 1961's "Mysterious Island," "King Kong," "The Land that Time Forgot" and "Scooby-Doo" (but without the dog); it pokes fun at the stop-motion effects from decades ago and even has a character named after stop-motion guru Ray Harryhausen, played by Adam West. I'm surprised at the bad reviews, which shows these people didn't "get it," because "Monster Island" delivers the goods in practically every department. For one, the adventure story works even though it's obviously not to be taken too serious; it's just serious enough. Secondly, the cast is great, which includes an excellent assortment of women -- cutie Chelan Simmons, blond dancer Jana Berengel, Carmen Electra, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, etc. And, thirdly, a notable score and soundtrack (including the main song "Jungle Fever" sung by Carmen). Really, everything just clicks for a entertaining, fun adventure movie. Around the mid-point I realized that I had stumbled on to something special with the introduction of Dr. Harryhausen's ugly-but-cute pet Rudy and the subsequent nigh-moving scene between Dr. Harryhausen and Maddy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The way Maddy starts to morph into the queen (or goddess) of the Matambas due to the tribal necklace is another highlight. I'm grading this flick according to what it is and what it aspires to achieve: "Monster Island" is a campy TV-movie with intentionally bad F/X and a fun adventure story, which is taken just serious enough. With this in mind, it's superlative on practically every level and, in my opinion, is more entertaining than "Goonies," the two "Scooby-Doo" movies, "At the Earth's Core" (which isn't saying much, lol) and even "Star Wars" (yes, there are some Star Wars elements). In other words, I'd happily watch "Monster Island" before any of these five movies. The film was shot in British Columbia and the studio and runs 92 minutes. GRADE: B+/A-