Director Danishka Esterhazy offers viewers The Banana Splits gang, a vest-wearing headstrong mother heroine, over the top gore and Hostel Saw-like torture, mixed with Rob Zombie's Hell 31 (2016) on a low budget.
Like the recent similar tones of the Puppet Master Littlest Reich (2018) reboot, Esterhazy film lacks a cinematic look and quality, its straight to home-video feel stops it becoming a cult classic. That's said, there's plenty to enjoy. Fleegle and Drooper are particular menacing as the majority of adults are killed off. The child actors are good, actress Dani Kind does her best Linda Hamilton as a Sarah Connor type and Naledi Majola is notable as studio manager Paige.
While this movie is packed with borrowed elements from better films writers Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas's story holds up with a few twists, including a programming Frankenstein creator, robotic Banana Splits with a topical A.I. gone wrong reminiscent of Small Soldiers and the recent Child's Play remake.
For die hard ‘Splits fans Cuckoo is possibly the psychological damaged fiancee (which sets up a sequel) but the 'head on the wall' from the original series appears to be omitted. Nevertheless, there's blood, elaborate deaths throughout the rundown grime ridden studio setting and the showdown with good robot Snorky versus evil Bingo robot is a hoot.
This tone shift will split The Banana Splits fans but old school Banana Splits lovers who like horror should watch even if only for the novel adult tra la la slasher fun.
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