Plot: What’s it about?
It seems as though every neighborhood has that one house, the one that is a little run down and is owned by a mysterious person. The old woman who has a hundred cats or the guy who only comes out at night, some kind of strange resident. D.J. (Mitchel Musso) lives in a neighborhood that has an eerie house with an eerie owner, a place which has really gotten his attention. He has seen some unusual things happen at the house, as anything that lands on the lawn, is never seen again. If the creepy Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi) doesn’t round it up, whatever occupies the lawn is soon pulled inside the house by some unknown force. D.J. knows there is some kind of secret to be uncovered, so he enlists his friends Jenny (Spencer Locke) and Chowder (Sam Lerner) to help him figure out what goes on inside. He tries to convince others about the house’s strange side, but of course, no one believes him, not even his baby-sitter Zee (Maggie Gyllenhaal). When Nebbercracker has to spend some time in the hospital, D.J. decides the time has come to learn the truth. But in order to so, he and his friends will have to venture inside and once they do, will they ever return?
I have no problem with animated films about talking animals, but the sheer volume of them of late has me burned out. At the same time, I am addicted to computer animation however, so I was pleased to see one out that was about people, not animals. Not just that, but one with a Halloween theme no less, so as an animated addicted horror fan, Monster House seemed like a can’t miss prospect. As it turned out, that was right and the movie was a blast to watch. While there is a horror theme, this is of course a children’s film and as such, the scares are never even close to intense. There is good atmosphere however, much better than any of the Goosebumps movies I watched. So while tame by any standard, Monster House is able to mix in the spooky stuff as well as possible, given the target audience. The humor is well handled also, with a lot of great moments and good blend of sight gags and humorous dialogue. The animation is cool too, with a motion capture approach that adds a touch of realism, but there is still a unique, creative visual presence. My main complaint would be that the movie seems a little short, but this is a children’s movie, so time must have been an issue. In the end, I enjoyed Monster House a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested.
Video: How does it look?
Monster House is a CGI movie and, as such, it looks fantastic on DVD. The 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer really sparkles and it’s no secret that computer animation is among the best out there for picture quality. This is a dark movie, to be sure, but you won’t feel it. There are times when the colors explode off the screen and times when the screen is totally black. It’s a great-looking transfer and one that will certainly be hard to top.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is impressive, thanks to the included Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This movie has a lot of scenes of suspense and action, from the eerie scares to screams of fright, so the surrounds have plenty of chances to show off. And that’s what happens, as the speakers burst with presence, of both the subtle and powerful varieties. In fact, few moments pass in which the surrounds aren’t active, so this mix will put your system through its paces. The bass kicks deep and the sound effects boom, so you’ll feel like your own house is haunted The dialogue is clean and clear throughout, so vocals never become a problem in the least. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
If you like featurettes, then this is one release you’ll fall in love with. You can scan seven different ones here, each with a different focus. The pieces cover most of the production stages, from sound design to motion capture to the project’s genesis, with all stops in between. We’re also shown how one scene went from concept to finished product, which is quite the process. This disc also includes some art work, a photo gallery, and a special filmmaker’s audio commentary track.
