The computer animated Monster House (Columbia) — a macabre fairy tale from the creative minds of executive producers Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg — owes more to the darkly delightful children's fantasies of Roald Dahl and R.L. Stine than the cheery pixilated confections of Pixar. No adorable clownfish or toy cowboys here!
Instead, employing the motion-capture animation technique used by Zemeckis to haunting effect in The Polar Express, director Gil Kenan taps into childhood fears, crafting a smart and scary thrill ride in which peril lurks beneath creaky porch steps, sinister shadows slink into bedrooms to terrorize dreams, and that skeletal tree branch is really out to get you!
But, for the most part, he pulls it off in a way that is more fun than fright. Just the kind of film Sully and Mike, the oddball duo of Monsters, Inc. would catch at the Monstropolis multiplex in between shifts at the scream factory.
The Halloween-themed yarn centers on a trio of suburban kids — DJ (voiced by Mitchel Musso), best friend Chowder (Sam Lerner) and precocious puppy-love interest Jenny (Spencer Locke) — who investigate the strange happenings involving an eerie old house on DJ's block. Long presumed haunted, the ramshackle residence is a black hole into which any object that gets too close — toys, pets, even people — disappears.
When DJ ventures onto its lawn to retrieve Chowder's basketball, his trespassing sets off the house's maniacally misanthropic owner, Mr. Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi), who is felled by a heart attack during his fit of fury. Soon thereafter, the house comes to life… literally.
Its angry expressions provided by actress Kathleen Turner, the house's gables twist into a shingled scowl as its fanged front door grimaces hungrily at the prospect of trick-or-treaters. With no one believing them, the young sleuths take it upon themselves to save the neighborhood from the anthropomorphic abode.
While lacking the surreal artistry of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, the spooky visuals are wildly imaginative, including a bravura sequence of the possessed edifice — astride giant tree-trunk legs — lumbering after the children.
The film's menacing tone and ghost-story conceit are darker than most children's fare and may give younger tykes nightmares. (Then again, have you read the Brothers Grimm lately?)
And while nothing is outright objectionable, there are a few elements that the film could have done without, mostly involving the behavior of the baby sitter's (Maggie Gyllenhaal) punk boyfriend (Jason Lee).
But it's not all about giving the kiddies goose bumps. Monster House also has a touch of pathos as we learn the reason behind Nebbercracker's petulance which is fueled by misunderstanding rather than malevolence. Like all good fairy tales the film is, at its heart, a love story, one in which a boy's first kiss and an old man's parting caress are the most daunting challenges of all.
The film contains some frightening images and sequences, minor crude and suggestive humor and innuendo, theft, and mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
(This review appears courtesy of US Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting.)
