Monsters (TV Series) Mr. Swlabr (1990) User Reviews

Kid's story

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 13 May 2015]

MR. SWLABR is an out-and-out children's episode of the MONSTERS TV show. It's as cheesy, dated, and annoying as any kid's TV programme from the 1980s, with little to recommend it to genuine horror fans or those looking for a nostalgia kick from the decade.

The very simplistic storyline sees a poor kid being browbeaten by his parents and forced to live in the basement. His troubles are answered when a toy from his cereal box comes to life. Mr. Swlabr is a lovable mini-dinosaur looking creation with a big attitude and a fine line in insults, and the rest of the episode is a running battle between him and the kid and the annoying parents.

It's all very silly, with lots of green goo being splattered around and a particularly poorly-animated glove puppet as the central character. It makes you wonder how these things passed for prime-time entertainment back in the day.

Poor Monsters episode.

[poolandrews · 3/10 · 14 June 2009]

Monsters: Mr. Swlabr starts as a young boy named Roy (Robert Oliveri) looks inside his Wonder Pops cereal box & finds a strange free giveaway, a small green thing that needs to be put into water which Roy does & is surprised to see it grow into a small green fat slimy creature that calls itself a Swlabr. Roy's domineering, mean & spiteful sister Barbie (Danielle Ferland) & mom (Kate McGregor-Stewart) make his life hell but with the help of his new friend the Swlabr he manages to turn the tables...

Episode fifteen from season two of Monsters this originally aired in the US during January 1990, directed by Werner Shook one has to say that Mr. Swlabr is a poor episode of Monsters that feels more like a silly Tales From the Darkside family friendly bizarre fantasy than a dark horror anthology. The character's are poor, the dialogue is poor & the plot is very predictable & quite frankly stupid. It feels like a sentimental Disney flick with a put upon but likable kid turning the tables on his tormentors & getting his own back in a none violent sort of way with a little bit of help from a unlikely source. At twenty minutes it still feels long, there's nothing here of any substance & it's utterly predictable & just not very good.

The monster in this episode is obviously the Swbalr & the effects are pretty poor, it's obviously a fairly basic hand puppet for the majority of the episode & it moves awkwardly & we never see it's lower half for obvious reasons. This episode takes place in only one location & it looks alright but was obviously a cheap episode. The acting is alright but is deliberately played over-the-top. Apparently the word Swlabr is taken from a song by Cream, originally called 'She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow' it was shortened the the acronym 'Swlabr' on the advice of Eric Clapton.

Mr. Swlabr is a poor episode that has none of the good aspects of the series, there's no horror or twist & the story is poor. One to avoid really.

Delightful episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 11 October 2019]

Browbeaten little boy Roy Barton (a solid and sympathetic performance by Robert Olivera) befriends a toy he finds in a cereal box that comes to life as a mischievous dinosaur-like reptile called Swlabr (voiced with infectious aplomb by Rockets Redglare).

Director Warner Shook relates the charming whimsical story at a constant pace as well as maintains a sweet lighthearted tone throughout. Jule Selbo's thoughtful script astutely captures an abused child's poignant need to escape to a better world. This episode further benefits from lively acting from Kate McGregor as Roy's shrewish mother and Danielle Farland as Roy's snarky sister Barbie. A fun show.