A brilliant youthful adventure that is equal parts “The Hardy Boys” and “Goosebumps,” “Summer Monster” puts Mason Thames (the main child captive in “The Black Phone”) in considerably less ominous peril as a Martha's Vineyard resident who comes to suspect witchcraft afoot. David Henrie's clever exercise in light-hearted supernatural suspense is aimed at younger viewers, although their parents may also be turned away by the older members of the cast, notably Mel Gibson, Lorraine Bracco and Kevin James. It's a fun film that falls on the right side of “harmless”, being pleasantly formulaic rather than simply bland. Pastime Pictures will release the feature film (formerly titled “The Boys of Summer”) in U.S. theaters on October 4.
Aspiring to become a journalist like his late, globe-trotting father, Noah (Thames) has no greater desire than to get an article published in the local newspaper. But his unamused editor (James, appearing in only three scenes) only wants material that appeals to tourists and advertisers, so he rejects Noah's strictly amateur attempt to break questionable and lurid local stories. It looks like our hero will have to settle for a summer cycling around the island with his Little League classmates, star athlete Ben (Noah Cottrell), future politician Eugene (Julian Lerner) and tomboy Sammy (Abby James Witherspoon).
But a series of mysterious events here and elsewhere in New England—the disappearances of children who later reappear, physically intact but nearly catatonic—become more immediate once Ben is dragged away during a nighttime swim. He was found, seemingly unharmed, but also inert, almost as if someone had stolen his soul.
That's exactly the conclusion Noah jumps to, his suspicion immediately falling on the obviously witchy Miss Halverson (Bracco). She is a newly arrived seasonal guest at her mother's (Nora Zehetner) bed and breakfast, who dresses in puffy black and has a secretive, imperious air. Of course, no one else who hears his theory is really impressed. But Noah finds a surprise ally in “Old Man Carruthers,” aka Gene (Gibson), a talkative recluse who is a former detective. Although he also doesn't believe in an occult explanation, he is very invested in stopping the current spate of disappearances, as someone who experienced a tragedy related to the disappearance of a child in his own past.
Set in 1997, “Monster Summer” has a nice throwback feel that is variably reminiscent of “The Goonies,” “Stand by Me” and so on. Horrific content is only a teasing possibility until the last half hour or so, when the climatic effects make it clear that Noah was right all along – even if he was also wrong about the precise source of the evil acts . But the fantastical images that do arrive remain kid-friendly, in a Hansel and Gretel style rather than graphically terrifying.
Thames is an appealing main character, ably supported by his acting peers in more one-dimensional roles. Gibson has repeatedly played variations on the eccentric crispy coot, something he can probably do in his sleep – and he almost does it here, using low-wattage star power in a fairly amiable, not-at-home performance. not. We can hardly blame him, given the lame jokes thrown at him (“One piece of advice, kid: don't get old”, “I have socks older than you”, etc.).
There's a fair share of cornball dialogue in Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz's script, as well as a reassuring excess of fade-out schmaltz. But Henrie, a former child actor who recently played young Ron in “Reagan,” does a good job smoothing over the material's weak points with a combination of professional polish and a deft tone, serious but not too serious.
The North Carolina locations actually stand in for New England in the middle of a comprehensive package of technology and design, topped by Larry Blanford's beautiful widescreen cinematography and Frederick Wiedmann's grand orchestral score.
