Monster House (2006)

Sadly Over-hyped

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Interestingly this received a mixed reception upon release, but as time has gone on it slowly garnered a following. I can see why, especially for younger audiences. Halloween films designed for the whole family are rare these days and I do think this was released way ahead of its time. A couple of kids believe their neighbour's house is actually alive after the owner is rushed to hospital. Conducting their own little investigation, the kids are involved in a story that is slightly more personal and evokes sympathy. This is an unusual film, considering it's produced by Zemeckis and Spielberg. It's got the 80's adventure vibe that Spielberg is famous for and a similar style animation that Zemeckis used for "The Polar Express". This is one of those rare films where my score flips constantly, this time between a six and seven. There are many great elements. The inclusion of subtle horror and terror blends well with the witty script. Not enough to scare everyone but an adequate amount to frighten children. The characters were memorable and full of life, each hosting a differing personality so that the dialogue bounces back and forth consistently between them. The narrative moves along at a rapid pace, in fact rather impeccably well. The most important thing, and the major thing I'm sure you all took away from this, is that it teaches you what a uvula is. Literally. Whenever I think about this film, instantly the uvula pops into my mind. The biggest problem however is the third act. It's completely preposterous to a point where I'm thinking "...surely someone is going to see the giant house walking down the street attacking children?". The animation is slightly polygonal occasionally which does take you out of the film. However, it's a good Halloween film that captures the magic of older similar films. It only gets better with age, just prepare yourself for a stupid ending.

Having horror in a kid's animation is rarely seen and can be a risky move since being too scary can lose the child audience while not being scary enough can lose the adult audience. However, Monster House is able to appeal to both audiences really well although it could be scary to some kids during some scenes. So let's start with perhaps the most important part of any horror movie:1.Horror: While the horror present in Monster House would be considered scary to little children, it is enough to entertain adults. Perhaps the scariest part of the movie would be when a cement covered body disintegrates and leaves a skeleton behind. The design behind the house is also creative and is a very threatening character. Also, the disturbing ideas help make the movie more interesting for adults and help to challenge adults instead of being a cheerful movie.2.Animation: The animation in Monster House is quite impressive (for the time) and looks like claymation in the close up shots. The film also features many impressive scenes were characters come out of shadows or the scene focuses on one item while another is in the background. However, there are some scenes that look really funny which may be due to the fact that the film utilizes motion capture. As mentioned before the house is really well animated and transforms naturally and smoothly.3.Characters: Another strong attribute of Monster House would be the characters. Almost every character is well acted and fits naturally in regard to each other. As well as the main characters being excellent, the side characters are amazing as well and add some fantastic humor to certain scenes. 4.Humor: Speaking of humor, the humor present in Monster House is more for adults then children. Perhaps one of the best characters would be Skull, a stereotypical gamer who is seen as a god to the main characters. However, as an adult it is clear that he is a loser. In the end Monster House is a decent animation. While it isn't the best animation, it is quite entertaining and can be fun (and scary) to both children and adults due to the humor appealing to adults while the horror is for children. Final Verdict: 7/10

its first virtue - the science/courage to be more than a demonstration of technology. to have a story, full of clichés but touching in the final part. and this is real a good thing because it is a rare case when entertainment is mixed with a story who gives more than horror moments, fear and tension. a story of friendship and love, full of memories about old fairy tales, exploring the need of adventure of each generation of children and using the secret truth as the best part of an animation who translates the vision of a great director and the joy to tell the right story in the right manner. so, a well known story who preserves a beautiful surprise. and this is the best detail - to impose the image of a world who becomes more and more familiar but has a nice and useful fundamental meaning.

You know i am getting tired of how parents complain about how awful the movie is, yeah there a few themes that are not suitable for children but if you are so concerned about your children being corrupted by a simple movie? Then might as well control everything they watch. Because honestly they will see and hear things worse at school. The movie had it is flawed but it isn't a bad movie. The movie should be given a lot more credit, overall it doesn't have anything badly. A lot of movies for children put adult humor for the parents sake, and the children won't exactly understand so why try to diss on a movie that certainly deserves some credit?