Lots of movies have copied Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, but filmmaker Gil Kenan's animated Monster House—made with the same motion-capture technique used in The Polar Express—more closely resembles Steven Spielberg's mid-‘80s anthology series Amazing Stories, mimicking its whimsically scary approach and its slightly grotesque but essentially good-natured tone. There's not a great deal of story here: three teens—a gangly regular Joe, his wisecracking buddy, and a super-bright girl—investigate the big, threatening house across the road and eventually exorcise the unhappy spirit protected by its crabby owner. But if the mixture of juvenile rowdiness, kiddie-level jolts, and calculated sweetness is relatively thin, it also affords ample opportunity for frantic action scenes punctuated by heartwarming pauses and comic riffs. The pace is quick, the visuals are colorful and vibrant, and the voice cast (including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve Buscemi, and Jason Lee) is enthusiastic. Monster House is too intense for really young children (toddlers will probably be petrified), but kids 5-to-6 and up will identify with the protagonists and take to the ghoulish slapstick, while adults should enjoy the general sprightliness and occasional satiric jabs. Recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include an audio commentary featuring director Gil Kenan, an “Inside Monster House” section with seven featurettes—including “Imaginary Heroes,” “Beginner's Luck,” “The Best of Friends,” “Lots of Dots,” “Black Box Theater,” “Making It Real,” and “Did You Hear That?”—on character design, casting, voices, performance capture, and the animation process (25 min. total), the multi-angle segment “Evolution of a Scene: Eliza Vs. Nebbercracker” (3 min.), “The Art of Monster House” photo gallery, DVD-ROM features (including links to games, downloads, and activities), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a fun family film.] (F. Swietek)
Monster House
Sony, 91 min., PG, DVD: $28.99, Oct. 24 Volume 21, Issue 5
Monster House
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