MONSTER HOUSE (2006)

Directed By: Gil Kenan 
Written By: Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab & Paul Pettler 
Story By: Dan Harmon & Rob Schrab 
Cinematography: Xavier Perez Geobet 
Editor: Fabienne Eawley & Adam P. Scott 


Cast: Mitchel Musso, Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gylenhaal, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard, Jon Heder, Jason Lee, Kevin James, Nick Cannon, Spencer Locke, Kathleen Turner 


13-year-old DJ is observing his neighbor Nebbercracker on the other side of the street in the suburb that destroys tricycles of children that trespass his lawn. When DJ's parents travel on the eve of Halloween and the abusive nanny Zee stays with him, he calls his clumsy best friend Chowder to play basketball. But when the ball falls in Nebbercracker's lawn, the old man has a heart attack, and soon they find that the house is a monster. Later the boys rescue the smart Jenny from the house and the trio unsuccessfully tries to convince the babysitter, her boyfriend Bones and two police officers that the haunted house is a monster, but nobody believes them. The teenagers ask their video-game addicted acquaintance Skull how to destroy the house, and they disclose its secret on the Halloween night


Enjoyable in a way that a live action film couldn’t as it is grand in scope and would cost too much for a mid level story. As the film comes off like a storybook where it is made more for children but the material and animation seems like it would more be of interest to teenagers and adults.

While the film is scarier than expected. The film plays more as some might complain, but maybe let kids enjoy something that’s more intense and challenging or dangerous content wise for them. While staying somewhat clean. So that it feels a bit dark and cruel for kids but for a more grown up audience it feels too light to truly feel like a satisfying horror film.

The motion captured animation Is impressive and renders the character to be more realistic in a 3D settings. Motion capture animation of course adds more personality to the characters and the film. Even if the eyes seem a little lifeless. Though the filmmaking is continuously engaging This story expanded into a stronger one yet still feels Too cure but obviously made for a younger audience.

The film offers a stylized look and design that ends up feeling more like a technical movie then trying to impress and audience.

It doesn’t have a lot of pop culture references and actually feels more like a storybook.

The film unfortunately wasn’t as successful as it should have been. So there is very little hope of a sequel.

In the end the film falls a bit short on story and situation. As it doesn’t go as far as it seems it will and undoes some things that seemed to be final and permanent for more of a happy ending. Which makes those things before it feel like ploys and that the film is uncertain itself.

Grade: C+