Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Rankin Bass became famous for the stop motion Santa Claus specials they did in the 1970's. Normally, those kinds of people go for movies later on but this is actually before their most famous works. Their later stuff is obviously much better. While by no means awful, this wasn't that good. For a film titled "Mad Monster Party?" it actually barely features a party at all. Still, the stop motion effects are pretty good.I actually did end up liking the main character, Felix. I admit the ending is kind of too weird and seemed like a cop out, but it's still not bad. The voices were quite good, especially Boris Karloff's. Now I can fully go into Book Month with the end of this year. The monsters probably needed more personality. They just seemed to be causing trouble for no reason. **1/2

The simplicity of the "Mad Monster Party?" was exactly what enchanted people and made it success. Thinking that a comedy movie with toys from 1967 can still make people awake and intrigued with the story in 94 minutes is something really, really honorable.The film is about a party that Doctor Frankenstein organizes to decide what (famous) monster will be your successor and in this party a lot of famous characters from books and movies that are famous until today (like the own Frankenstein, Dracula, Invisible Man and others) met and begin a dispute to win the succession of Doctor Frankenstein.Songs are really present in "Mad Monster Party" and take part of the magic from the movie because they have good lyrics, good interpreters and happen at the right time. Other positive point is the end, that surprises everyone.Maybe the children of today aren't ready to watch a movie fully made with toys, but if the film had been make with computer effects it wouldn't be as funny as it is. Of course.PS.: The tribute to The Beatles in a song is perfect. Actually, the best scene of the movie.

I used to really like this kiddie monster mash when I was a kid, as it was always shown on TV around Halloween. These days it doesn't seem quite as wondrous to me but it's still some fun. It's an animated comedy from Rankin & Bass (the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" people) which utilizes puppets, as Baron Von Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff) unites all his famous monster friends together for a reunion -- The Monster and His Mate, Dracula, the Werewolf, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Jekyll & Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Creature. This would have been better if it wasn't so long (95 minutes) but it's a treat getting to see Karloff involved at the height of Monstermania, and for me it's Phyllis Diller as (the voice of) the monster's mate who steals the show. She tells many cheesy bad jokes but always ends them with her trademark "ah-ha haa!" Some good songs here too (especially "It's the Mummy", as sung by a rock band consisting of guitar-playing skeletons with Beatle-like wigs). **1/2 out of ****

Self-consciously cute, sometimes funny and sometimes just forced and silly, decidedly overlong all-star creature feature in Animagic from Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass, the folks who brought us the most enjoyable "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" around the same time. "Mad Monster Party?" (I never got the use of the question mark at the end of the title) certainly has its moments, but after the first third or so, we've got the idea and aren't necessarily hankering after another hour's worth of more or less the same. Possibly the length of "MMP?"--that of the typical live-action feature--is part of the joke, but I doubt it. The cutest and funniest character is Francesca, the husky-voiced, scarlet-haired vamp who has the movie's best lines. Edited by about fifteen minutes, it could have quite possibly earned 7 or even 8 stars (since I tend to be generous with puppets as it is); the way it stands, it's more than a curiosity but short of a classic. By all means worth a look, especially if you love the Bumble from "Rudolf" or that special's deformed inhabitants of the Isle of Misfit Toys, but just don't bring a set of high expectations, or you'll bound to feel a bit of a let-down...the way I did.