Review of Monster House (2006) by Ian G — 29 Jan 2016

One of the motion capture/animation hybrid films that came out of Imagemovers Digital overseen by Robert Zemeckis, it mainly benefits from the sophistication of the art direction and layout of the images even if the actual realism of the human characters still need some work which is usually the problem with the younger studios, Monster House focuses on a house across the street from a boy that he and his friends feel has become possessed by the home owner after his accidental death after an encounter with the lead.

While a cool idea and the design on the house itself is pretty cool, the articulation of the kids is very stuck in the 80's who come across as bratty at times, making me wonder if the screenplay was a leftover from Amblin's heydey back in the 80's or at the very least an apparent tribute to the Goonies and the like.

Made me a little meh as to connecting with the characters outside of the old man living at the house. Doesnt come close to Polar Express or Beowolf which are the top end of the spectrum for the studio but doesn't fall as low as the studio breaker Mars Needs Mom's.

Mixed.