Munchie (1992) User Reviews

A fun, mildly creepy children's flick good for B-movie lovers

[yourmotheratemydog715 · 5/10 · 27 July 2014]

Alright, take a look at that box art. We've got a creepy puppet in a leather jacket riding a pizza above the heads of a guy with a sexual predator mustache and a kid desperately attempting and failing to be Macaulay Culkin. How awesome you find that box art will probably directly correlate to how much you'll like MUNCHIE.

Which is to say MUNCHIE is not a very well-made movie, but it is quite entertaining when watched in the right state of mind (alcoholic beverages may help!). The acting is wooden across the board, the Munchie puppet looks like a dated, cheap children's toy that nobody bought because it was creepier than a Furby, and it's got a generic mom's-new-boyfriend character that rocks hideous '90s track-jackets. Everything feels slightly porn-y for a children's flick as well; there's much cleavage on display and one scene involving the school principal and his secretary feels distinctly softcore (tell me that actress isn't straight outta porn!). This is probably due to the director's seat being occupied by Jim Wynorski, a filmmaker much more at home directing exploitation and softcore flicks than children's movies.

It all comes off as a low-rent creepy E.T. (not, like, BADI-level creepy but certainly not cute), sans the emotional depth and filmmaking skill. Bad movie fans will have some fun with it, and little kids might too, I guess (they might need some kid beer though). Look for a preteen Jennifer Love Hewitt in her feature film debut, though she's not given anything to do but smile and look cute.

P.S. For those of you who greatly enjoyed 1987's MUNCHIES (anyone? anyone?) and are looking for a sequel, this is completely unrelated despite the trailer's claims. There is, however, a sequel to this one: 1994's MUNCHIE STRIKES BACK.

This movie is more fun than it should be...but still bad

[kevin_robbins · 4/10 · 2 December 2022]

Munchie (1992) is a movie that my daughter and I watched together on Tubi. The storyline follows a young man who gets bullied at school and struggles to fit in. He finds a mysterious box with a Munchie inside that agrees to grant his every wish. The young man is about to get his life flipped upside down.

This movie is directed by Jim Wynorski (The Lost Empire) and stars Loni Anderson (WKRP in Cincinnati), Andrew Stevens (10 to Midnight), Dom DeLuise (Blazing Saddles) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (I Know What You Did Last Summer).

This movie has a way better cast than it should. Loni Anderson looks amazing as the mother and Dom DeLuise was a tremendous choice as the voice of the Munchie. The next thing I must say is this movie is bad...but there are some scenes that will make you smile. The pizza scene with the chef with the meat clever was a lot of fun. The funeral dream cracked me up and is something all kids do. They also did a great job creating the various Munchie outfits. The ending is predictable but the mom's boyfriend is so annoying it's still fun to see it happen.

Overall, this movie is more fun than it should be...but still bad. I'd score this a 4/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Like, E.T., but not.

[Daddypantz · 4/10 · 18 February 2024]

Do you remember Steven Spielberg's classic story of an alien creature who interacts with a lonely kid who just needs a friend?

This is like that, if you take out the joy, sense of awe, and all the heart - and heap on alllll the campy over the top schlock of a low budget movie.

Is it "so bad it's good?" Yeah, I laughed quite a bit at some of the ridiculous situations that were super problematic for a movie aimed at kids. I'm not sure how they managed to get Loni Anderson and Dom DeLuise for this, but would have loved to be a fly on the wall when those negotiations were going on.

All in all, it deserves a spot in the, "what did I just experience?" list of movies.

Even worse than the original.

[13Funbags · 1/10 · 13 July 2019]

Few things are worse than a sequel that has absolutely nothing to do with the original movie. Except when that sequel is just bad in general. Somehow this movie is equal parts children's/family movie and highly inappropriate sex talk. There's even a child's party with a keg of beer. Sadly, it's just a bad movie with lots of plot holes. I'm dreading the 3rd one.

Taco Bell of Cinema

[russ-210 · 1/10 · 10 October 2005]

Too bad I can not assign a 0.

This mind-bending garbage has Loni Anderson, Dom Deluise, and Jennifer Love Hewitt in a steaming pile of a kids movie. The pitch was clearly "ET meets Gremlins, but without the scary gremlins." They even stole the scene where ET flies in front of a full moon.

Munchie is ancient, grants wishes, but doesn't really do anything cool besides fly a pizza into the kids room when he is denied dinner. Loni Anderson shows off fine plastic surgery work, there is the requisite mad scientist neighbor, and the evil stepdad figure and "i wish my dead dad was here to see this" type writing.

What I love about this movie is that there are all these C-List actors in what is just a totally botched Z-grade kids movie. The writing is terrible, the puppet is literally a teddy ruxpin rip off with no facial expressions, mouth that just opens and closes, and eyes that only move horizontally. Mystery Science would have had a field day with this vomit. Truly terrible.

A great Movie...not really.

[jmoneyg · 21 December 2003]

Munchie can make pizzas fly down the street. They found munchie in some box hidden away in a mine or something. Jennifer Love-Hewit is in this. So is Loni Anderson. This is a heartwarming tale of a kid who finds Munchie, then gets springboarded to popularity. Munchie is cool. He looks stupid, and when he talks, his hands twirl around. Watch this movie late late at night with friends, you'll laugh your head off. That one big guy from Canonball run is Munchies voice.

Below Par

[saint_brett · 5/10 · 1 September 2021]

Movie starts off with a Cannonball Run atmosphere and some male blow-up doll talking nonsensical jibberjabber. The start of this is like it's midway from another movie altogether.

There's no explanation what all this high speed car business is about.

It's sort of Road Runner humor.

Did you know that munchie in Spanish translates to piscolabis? Sounds like a war general from the Spanish conquistador era.

Kevin Arnold is daydreaming in Mrs. White's class but her codename is really Mrs. Blue Rock.

John Cleese gets lunch thrown all over him in the messhall then Martin Sheen appears from a garage with a horrible French accent.

I can't believe I'm watching this. I connect some pretty unusavoury material to my USB ports - which I'm not at liberty to disclose the nature of - but to have Munchie playing on the idiot box is criminal.

So, Loni Anderson and her "Informer" Snow boyfriend are introduced and Kevin Arnold resent his sleazy ways.

The kid starts fantasizing and has big aspirations about dying and being the star at his own funeral. Some life's ambition. But who am I to talk - my idol is Uncle Paulie from Rocky. It still pains me to hear Rocky label Paulie a bum. I idolise Paulie and I am a bum myself.

Pizza delivered in 30-seconds or it's free? Wasn't it 30-minutes or it's free?

Wow, preppie schoolhall bullies in knitted woolen pullovers and corduroys?

Is that Hitler addressing the school play?

The Munchie character is hideous and has no appeal.

Was that Red from Back to the Future being stereotype cast as a derelict hobo again?

This movie is not my cup of tea but I guess it's better than that other woeful piece of rubbish Coolcat saves the Kids.

I've given this movie 5/10.

Why? Because 5/10 is my I'll-sit-on-the-fence-on-this-one rating with any movie. Again, I don't like it and I don't hate it at the same time.

This movie obviously targeted a niche market for hip 90's kids. You know the one's? They used to appear on Nintendo Power covers or Coke ads. They'd be in a jeep on the beach and would have neon hairwaves or 3D glasses and light bulbs in their brains and be all tanned up and cool in a group of fellow cool dudes.

Utter cinematic brilliance

[chinasyndrome · 10/10 · 2 January 2006]

This is the funniest movie I've ever seen. Get blazed with your friends at night and prepare to laugh until your spleen explodes. There's hundreds of classic, quotable moments: when the bully's head slowly turns toward the camera as he prepares to tear Gage Dobson down. Gage's constant hallucinations (a firing squad? His own funeral? Is this really a kids' movie?). Chaos in the pizza place: "let's try Chinese instead!" The constant slew of subliminal dirty jokes and cleavage shots thrown in for the dads. The bouncin' soundtrack of farting tubas and tinkling synths whenever Munchie gets into mischief. Munchie is pure, unadulterated comedic genius, perhaps only surpassed in brilliance by the 1994 sequel, Munchie Strikes Back. Where is the triple-disc Criterion Collection version?

Hard to understand, but rewarding with multiple viewings

[stalinsays · 6/10 · 27 January 2007]

While the film Munchie is on it's surface a below average practical effects driven family comedy and allegory for acceptance and overcoming the challenges of puberty, below one veil lies a heart of darkness, and an interesting dissertation on the esoteric. Trying to stab at this moving target with one pithy summation is difficult, but as a reviewer, it is my duty. Essentially the bizarre and repulsive "Munchie" shows us the true meaning of 'monstrous.' Rather than recognize his freakishness and retreat in to some dark faery land of seclusion, Munchie parades himself about, attempting to use a thin layer of humor as a social lubricant. More grotesquely still, Munchie seeks the company of children.

How sinister this practice is lies in the viewpoint of the err... viewer. My personal take, is that highlighting how 'ugly' society is using his own ugliness is Munchie's attempt at destroying the juvenile leads' innocence. This psychic affront disturbs me more than any banal, physical transgressions that are / were to occur, being that we are all blinded gray whales crashing about in the pitch seas of the cosmos.

Munchie really likes pizza. ;-)

Greatest Movie Ever Made!!!!

[percehonson · 10/10 · 16 March 2010]

This film has everything. Flying pizzas, wacky humor, a fat guy in a sailor hat playing the drums. You won't find another film as magnificent as this unless you count G.I. Joe the Movie. It's about this kid named Gage who finds a magical creature named Munchie. Munchie ends up making Gage's life perfect. Seriously, there is pizza in his life and everything. This film will also teach you and your kids valuable lessons. Yes, it is OK to throw away food in your bedroom. Whoever made up that rule is obviously wrong cause Gage does it in this movie. It will also teach you that it is OK to hijack an airplane as long as it's for fun. Most importantly it teaches you not to crash your car into the donut shop cause there are cops in there. Watching this film is one thing everyone should do in their lifetime. It's easily more important than graduating high school.

Let me clarify...

[paceman90 · 2 February 2004]

Bobhoperocks is right that this is not a sequel...but it does state on the cover box that Munchie is a sequel to Munchies. And if you liked Munchies, you won't like Munchie because it sucks. Plain and simple. The two have nothing to do with each other. I know I'm repeating myself here, but come on...I mean, come on...!!

Very campy!

[GOWBTW · 6/10 · 22 May 2007]

Everybody needs a good friend at times. In the movie "Munchie", it proves what I mean. You got a kid who lives with a divorced mother(Loni Anderson). They've relocated, he's not popular at school, he doesn't like the new boyfriend, life is bad. Until he makes a friend with a magical creature named Munchie(voiced by Dom DeLuise). Munchie loves pizza, and he is one true friend anyone can have. He helps him with the bullies, get him the girl of his dreams(Jennifer Love Hewitt), and most of all get rid of the jerk boyfriend of hers. It wasn't long when she opens her eyes about her boyfriend after he finds him drunk and passed out. The other star I truly like is actor Arte Johnson playing the kind and helpful Professor Cruikshank. He will be entrusted deep to him. This movie was rather campy. The cast was good, and the storyline is common. Not the greatest thing, but is highly watchable. 2 out of 5 stars.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS???

[paceman90 · 2 August 2001]

Munchie is not a sequel to Munchies as the cover box will try to make you believe. I don't remember a thing about this horrible movie since I saw it so long ago, but the critter in question is nothing like the critters in Munchies. I hate people that make sequels that aren't actually sequels, i.e. Troll 2, Halloween III, and this schlock of a movie. SEE MUNCHIES! DON'T SEE THIS!!!

Fun

[mellywoodsmansion · 6/10 · 1 January 2022]

Is just fun the VHS sequel to munchies one of the greatest gremlins rip-off of all time it is also the worst gremlin rip-off of all time it's just too fun.

Cutesy sequel

[lor_ · 21 July 2023]

My review was written in June 1992 after watching the movie on New Horizons video cassette.

T&A director Jim Wynorski tries on the family film with good results in "Munchie". Picture opened in May in Nashville, but is mainly of interest to video fans.

The Title is a bit confusing, since the singular "Munchie" is a sequel to Bettina Hirsch's 1987 film "Munchies". That kind of moniker reversal is rare, though Universal remade the 1939 classic "Destry Rides Again" in 1954 as simply "Destry". (Adding confusion, Universal's original 1932 version was also called "Destry Rides Again").

Thi time, the one critter, an oversize smiling puppet voiced in wisecracking style by Dom DeLuise, is discovered in a mineshaft by young Jaime McEnnan and becomes his pal, helping him with bullies at school and magically granting other wishes.

Film laks the frenetic nature of its models, such as "Gremlins" and other imitations like the "Critters" and "Ghoulies" series. However, Wynorski's pacy direction and frequent sight gags keep things moving and entertaining.

McEnnan is an ingratiating young hero, and Loni Anderson makes for a most glamorous single parent. Arte Johnson has little to do as a neighboring archaeologist (filling the role of Harey Korman from the original), while Andrew Stevens overplays his nominal heavy as the hero's future stepdad.

Effects, such as a flying pizza, are minor, with the accent on comely, Wynorski's trademark of buxom women in the cast is amply delivered not only by Anderson but Toni Naples as Mcennan's math teacher and Monique Gabrielle as a sexy secretary to the principal.