Monster House

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Surprisingly witty and accomplished, Monster House is just the kind of beautifully crafted family fare we’ve come to expect from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis. They employ the same motion-capture animation used in 2004’s The Polar Express, but the effects have greatly improved this time around. The whimsical tale involves three nerds: one brainy, one driven, and one a few French fries short of a Happy Meal. They discover that the scary house across the street has been eating people, so they devise a scheme to save the neighborhood. While this film is definitely for kids, it’s not naptime for adults. It also features great voice work from stars like Jason Lee, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Steve Buscemi. In a banner year for animated features, this is another standout that avoids the worn trail of talking-animal 'toons and finds charm in an insular world where parents are MIA.