Munchie Strikes Back
Encyclopedia
Munchie Strikes Back is a 1992 comedy
feature film
directed by Jim Wynorski
and written by Wynorski and R.J. Robertson, as a sequel to Munchie
, with Howard Hessman providing Munchie's voice.
, Munchie must appear before a celestial court presided over by Kronus (Angus Scrimm
). The tribunal proceeds to blame Munchie for a number of historical calamities, including the sinking of Atlantis
, the crash of the Hindenburg
, the catacylism of Vesuvius, the meltdown of Chernobyl
. As punishment, he is sentenced to help single mom Linda McClelland (Lesley-Anne Down
). Linda's son Chris (Trenton Knight) is the only one who can see Munchie, and Munchie and he become best buddies. Chris is the pitcher of a Little League
team, and is being bullied by Brett Carlisle (Corey Mendelsohn), who is his rival in baseball as well as for the attentions of the girl-next-door Jennifer (Natanya Ross
). While out of town on a business trip, Linda's boss makes improper advances to her. When she refuses his advances, he fires her. This creates financial hardship on the family. Munchie intervenes in their lives, making it so Chris has a perfect game and impresses Jennifer, and Linda finds a bag of money to prevent eviction. Munchie appears back before the tribunal, who assign his next punishment... to help Bill Clinton
.
. TV Guide
offered that Munchie Strikes Back "...turns an annoying, no-budget children's movie into an annoying, no-budget children's series," and in considering the film's attempts at humour, wrote the film "is the sort of ill-considered comedy in which a Little League team can be named the 'Hillside Stranglers', and big laughs are expected from the sight of a woman kicking a dog." X-Entertainment was only slightly less harsh, offering in their review "...the series saw its last hurrah in the movie we're reviewing today, 1992's Munchie Strikes Back. Assuming that at least some of you have seen Munchies, throw away everything you think you know about the lore. The last two films were entirely different and strictly for kids. It's for this reason that I'm having trouble calling this pile of shit a pile of shit—putting myself in the mindset of a seven-year-old, it's not too terrible. Can't really recommend it as fodder for your bad movie nights (stick with the original for those), but if you've ever wanted 80 minutes worth of Howard Heeseman voicing the poor man's ALF, Munchie Strikes Back caters to your unique and pitiful whim." John Stanley gave the film one and a half stars, denouncing it as a watered "down kiddie fantasy from the
Roger Corman factory..."
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed by Jim Wynorski
Jim Wynorski
Jim Wynorski is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.-Career:Wynorski has been making B-movies and exploitation movies since the early 1980s. He has directed over 75 feature films. His earliest films were released to the theatrical audience and played in movie theaters...
and written by Wynorski and R.J. Robertson, as a sequel to Munchie
Munchie
Munchie is a 1992 comedy film. The film was directed by Jim Wynorski, and Jennifer Love Hewitt makes her debut as a film actress. The film stars Andrew Stevens and Loni Anderson .The film was released in 1992...
, with Howard Hessman providing Munchie's voice.
Synopsis
Because of the repercussions left from his last adventureMunchie
Munchie is a 1992 comedy film. The film was directed by Jim Wynorski, and Jennifer Love Hewitt makes her debut as a film actress. The film stars Andrew Stevens and Loni Anderson .The film was released in 1992...
, Munchie must appear before a celestial court presided over by Kronus (Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm is an American actor, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror movie Phantasm and its sequels.-Life and career:...
). The tribunal proceeds to blame Munchie for a number of historical calamities, including the sinking of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, the crash of the Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume...
, the catacylism of Vesuvius, the meltdown of Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
. As punishment, he is sentenced to help single mom Linda McClelland (Lesley-Anne Down
Lesley-Anne Down
Lesley-Anne Down is a British film and television actress, former model and singer.Down achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV drama series Upstairs, Downstairs...
). Linda's son Chris (Trenton Knight) is the only one who can see Munchie, and Munchie and he become best buddies. Chris is the pitcher of a Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
team, and is being bullied by Brett Carlisle (Corey Mendelsohn), who is his rival in baseball as well as for the attentions of the girl-next-door Jennifer (Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross is an actress who is most famous for playing Robyn Russo, a regular character in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She has also starred in The Baby-Sitters Club and the 1995 television version of Freaky Friday....
). While out of town on a business trip, Linda's boss makes improper advances to her. When she refuses his advances, he fires her. This creates financial hardship on the family. Munchie intervenes in their lives, making it so Chris has a perfect game and impresses Jennifer, and Linda finds a bag of money to prevent eviction. Munchie appears back before the tribunal, who assign his next punishment... to help Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Partial cast
- Lesley-Anne DownLesley-Anne DownLesley-Anne Down is a British film and television actress, former model and singer.Down achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV drama series Upstairs, Downstairs...
as Linda McClelland - Andrew StevensAndrew StevensAndrew Stevens is an American executive, film producer, director and former actor.-Early life:Andrew Stevens was born Herman Andrew Stephens in Memphis, Tennessee...
as Shelby Carlisle - Howard HessemanHoward HessemanHoward Hesseman is an American actor best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.-Early life:...
as Munchie (voice) - Angus ScrimmAngus ScrimmAngus Scrimm is an American actor, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror movie Phantasm and its sequels.-Life and career:...
as Kronas - John BynerJohn BynerJohn Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
as Coach Elkins - Steve Franken as Professor Graves
- Natanya RossNatanya RossNatanya Ross is an actress who is most famous for playing Robyn Russo, a regular character in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She has also starred in The Baby-Sitters Club and the 1995 television version of Freaky Friday....
as Jennifer - Toni NaplesToni NaplesToni Naples is an American actress.-Filmography:*Female Mercenaries *Doctor Detroit as Dream Girl*The Turn-On as Harold's Wife*Chopping Mall as Lead Bathing Beauty...
as Newscaster - Trenton Knight as Chris McClelland
- Ace Mask as Mr. Poyndexter
- Cory Mendelsohn as Bret
- Antonia Dorian as Cleopatra
- Jamie McEnnan as Gage Dobson
Critical response
Reviewers generally found the movie a poor sequel to MunchieMunchie
Munchie is a 1992 comedy film. The film was directed by Jim Wynorski, and Jennifer Love Hewitt makes her debut as a film actress. The film stars Andrew Stevens and Loni Anderson .The film was released in 1992...
. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
offered that Munchie Strikes Back "...turns an annoying, no-budget children's movie into an annoying, no-budget children's series," and in considering the film's attempts at humour, wrote the film "is the sort of ill-considered comedy in which a Little League team can be named the 'Hillside Stranglers', and big laughs are expected from the sight of a woman kicking a dog." X-Entertainment was only slightly less harsh, offering in their review "...the series saw its last hurrah in the movie we're reviewing today, 1992's Munchie Strikes Back. Assuming that at least some of you have seen Munchies, throw away everything you think you know about the lore. The last two films were entirely different and strictly for kids. It's for this reason that I'm having trouble calling this pile of shit a pile of shit—putting myself in the mindset of a seven-year-old, it's not too terrible. Can't really recommend it as fodder for your bad movie nights (stick with the original for those), but if you've ever wanted 80 minutes worth of Howard Heeseman voicing the poor man's ALF, Munchie Strikes Back caters to your unique and pitiful whim." John Stanley gave the film one and a half stars, denouncing it as a watered "down kiddie fantasy from the
Roger Corman factory..."