Monster House (2006)

What a waste of my time!!!

Purely Joyful Movie!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

With shades of October classics like Monster Squad, Monster House is a halloween movie just about anyone can enjoy. Though on the outside it may look like a "kids movie," it doesn't pull its punches and isn't afraid to put our heroes in legitimate danger, leading to the same sense of joy one would get when watching a movie like The Goonies.Part of what makes it such a joy is the movie's overarching mystery regarding the titular house itself. The secret to successful horror is to keep the audience guessing, and Monster House is great at this. There's a few big mysteries lurking inside the Monster House, and the movie takes its time building a tangible, winding suspense. The monster itself is absolutely awesome in motion, and some of the most creative use of visual effects out there.But... about that. This is one of the movies to use Robert Zemeckis' "performance capture" technology, which is an overly complex, incredibly expensive way to take real people on real sets and digitize their movements into computer animation. The more stylized, claymation-esque aesthetic of Monster House makes it less creepy looking than Zemeckis' other movies (The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol) but it still veers too close to the uncanny valley in some scenes. Characters can vary wildly between looking like puppets, cartoon characters, and unsettlingly realistic people in a way that can look a little gross. Without getting in to a debate about the value of real animators and hand-crafted animation versus using a computer to auto-digitize the movement of physical actors, I'll just say that this performance capture stuff continues to look wholly unnecessary in Monster House, but it doesn't spoil the movie. It just didn't need it.Monster House didn't just exceed my expectations, it juked around them like a football player. Every time I thought I knew right where this movie was going, it took a left turn, and kept me entertained the whole time. It's a kids movie that almost feels on the edge of not being suitable for children -- and if you ask me, those are the best kind.

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

Few months back when Monster House (2006) was on TV; I tried to resist watching it as I was busy with doing something but it was too interesting to miss and I turned into a couch potato. It is a horror comedy revolving the tales of Domus Mactibilis and a group of children who are determined to unveil the mysteries of that living house in order to defeat it. The film sets in a beautiful neighbourhood during the Autumn, around the time when children are trick-or-treating for Halloween. There are also several likable characters and certainly, there are plenty of hidden mysteries. Some parts of the film doesn't make sense but with realistic personalities, engaging storyline and characters that are so mean to scare children, it is truly an enjoyable watch.Most importantly, Monster House (2006) doesn't bore. This relatively unknown film is not new but it's not that old either; I just came across this film recently yet it has already impressed and imprinted on me. True that the whole film seems to lack of other living beings around the neighbourhood, that doesn't mean it is not entertaining and it should be out of anyone's watchlist!PS. Domus Mactibilis is supposed to be terrifying but I find the Monster House so adorable and pretty. *-*

DJ is a preteen boy, confused about growing up, meeting girls, and being "normal". His best friend is an immature and overweight boy donning a cape, Chowder, and DJ's hobby is spying on Old Man Nebbercracker, a bony old crone who seems to hate children. When the old guy drops dead while attacking DJ, the two boys find themselves caught up in the mystery of the house the old man lived in, possessed by the spirit of a morbidly obese woman named Constance.What was honestly very surprising in a movie like this, was the strangely delivered message about what kind of rage possesses a bullied individual. Constance was living in a circus during the Vietnam War, as "Constance the Giantess". Crowds of people would throw tomatoes and food at her and call her names, until Nebbercracker, in his Twenties then, rescues her and marries her. While building their dream home, a gang of young kids pelt eggs at Constance, and she remembers the circus and ends up killing herself in a fit of rage. Had everyone been nicer to her, perhaps she would have lived and wouldn't be the angry ghost that lives within this film.With the various fart jokes and lines such as "she grabbed my butt", you wouldn't think this would be a good movie for kids. It certainly isn't for little kids, I'd say maybe ages 12 and up, but it does surprisingly have some good lessons in it, such as respect towards the elderly, and not to judge people by their appearance. Aside from that, this movie was HILARIOUS! I loved it! I loved the soundtrack, the plot, the characters... my only complaint are the crude humor jokes. There is one scene where the two boys have stayed up all night and haven't left to go pee, therefore they have Mountain Dew bottles piled high full of pee on DJ's dresser. There is some humor only adults would get. Nevertheless, this has been one of my favorite movies ever since it first came out.