With impressive names like Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, one would think that "Monster House" would be a fun movie to watch. With both of them being in the 'executive producer' role, the film is only 'fun' to a certain extent. Perhaps I was anticipating an "Ice Age" like animated humourous fun fest. "Monster House" however, leans more toward the horror/mystery genre, making this film suitable for the Halloween season (as that is when the movie is set in anyway).
The movie begins as we see a "Forrest Gump"-like introduction. You will know what I mean when you watch it. The graphics in this 3D animated film are smooth and slick, although the 'human' models took a page out of "Jimmy Neutron". The facial expressions of each human character were excellent as they matched their human voice actors perfectly. Among those that stood out were Sam Lerner who played Chowder, the protagonist's best friend, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Zee, the teenage babysitter.
The film revolves around an old, wrecked-up house in a neighbourhood that everyone avoids due to its cantankerous owner, Mr. Nebbercracker. Anyone or anything that falls on to his lawn or property gets confiscated and will never be seen again. At times, he is seen talking, and even kissing his house. His opposite neighbour, 13-year-old D.J has been spying on old man Nebbercracker for awhile now and is convinced that the house is haunted, or at least 'alive'. D.J's best friend Chowder and new found friend Jenny are the three protagonists who face the 'monster house' when it acts up after Nebbercracker's hospitalisation.
All of the film's character animation is at least partially derived from a complex motion capture process dubbed 'performance capture'. This process was pioneered by Robert Zemeckis on his film "The Polar Express". To avoid criticism from audiences and avoid the same fate as "The Polar Express", the animation and facial looks have been 'toned down' from ultra-photorealistic looks so the audience is not 'creeped out' like the way I was with Tom Hanks.
The musical score in the film was very suitable as it gave that creepy Danny Elfman type of sound. Composer Douglas Pipes may not have many film scores to his name, but perhaps with "Monster House", he will be getting more offers soon.
Being a Halloween movie, one can expect lots of jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, and pesky American young teens. This film is definitely targeted at the younger group of teens (12-16 years), as I felt a little too old watching this offering from director Gil Kenan.
Watch this only if you feel like watching something thrilling and mysterious. If you would rather watch something light-hearted and fun, just go and watch "Ice Age 2" or "Over The Hedge" instead. This one is way darker in the animated sense.
