Monster
House is a wonderfully entertaining movie that sort of reminded me of the 80's
gems of my youth. The Goonies, Explorers, and Monster Squad immediately spring
to mind. What do all these films share? Well in a nutshell, they're all a celebration
of childhood. In addition to being a clever ghost story, that's what "Monster
House" really is – a fond remembrance of the innocence and charm of
youth. It's about kids going on an adventure but it's also about the adventure
of being a kid.
Monster
House tells the story of young D.J. He's your everyday adolescent embarking on
the greatest of youthful adventures – puberty. D.J. lives in the burbs and
as is often the case in such familiar surroundings, there's always that one creepy
house at the end of the block, that is the subject of spooky lore and legend that
every kid knows about and fears. A Monster House if you will. In this picture,
that particular house belongs to one Mr. Nebbercracker, a mean old man who scolds
any youngster who might set foot on his property. One evening, after a horrible
accident, Mr. Nebbercracker is rushed to the hospital leaving his sinister looking
home unattended. Soon, a bizarre occurrence compels D.J. to team with his jovial
overweight buddy Chowder and a cute candy sales-girl name Jenny to investigate
Nebbercracker's scary abode – on Halloween no less. Little do they know that
there's much more to this dwelling than meets the eye and soon the onset of puberty
becomes the least of D.J.'s concerns.
Monster
House was shot using the motion capture process, the same technique that brought
Robert Zemeckis' Polar Express to life, but I enjoyed this film more, because
– much like the house that makes up the gist of the plot – it felt alive.
Polar Express had its moments, but somehow the expressionless faces of the kids
was more disturbing than engaging. Ironic given that Monster House is a horror
tale.
Firstly,
I was simply awestruck by the spellbinding visual quality of Monster House. From
the opening riff on Forrest Gump (it involves a leaf) to the climactic shots of
the terrifying house doing things I've never seen a house do before, this technique
is perfectly suited for this film. What's more, the human characters are far less
creepy than the ones in The Polar Express (characters in this picture even smile).
The most beautifully created character of the bunch is old man Nebbercracker.
His facial expressions are gloriously real. Yes, the look of this picture really
knocked my socks off. My only true regret was not having waited to experience
it in Digital 3-D (which I will do at this week's Comic-Con convention in San
Diego). To see these images pop out of the screen will be an added bonus.
Secondly,
I was impressed by the clever screenplay by Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, and Pamela
Pettler that, in addition to the aforementioned films, pays homage to the likes
of Poltergeist, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Gremlins, Stand By Me, and a plethora
of other films that I adore. Furthermore, I liked that Monster House actually
had a story to tell. We actually do get to see what makes the Monster House tick,
and while I would have loved a little more insight into Nebbercracker's background
subplot, that's a feeble swipe taken at an otherwise thoroughly entertaining movie.
Third,
what a terrific cast. Mitchell Musso, Sam Lerner, and Spencer Block are simply
delightful as our three fearless heroes, bringing a kind of realism to the proceedings.
In particular, I got a kick out of the way D.J. and Chowder verbally spar to gain
the attention of Jenny. I enjoyed Maggie Gyllenhaal as the sort of rebellious
teenage baby sitter, while Jason Lee is hilarious in the kind of role that one
might expect Keanu Reeves to play. Steve Buscemi is perfect as the mysterious
Nebbercracker, an old codger with a Boo Radley vibe. Kathleen Turner (who voiced
Jessica Rabbit in Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit) has a pivotal cameo as a
key character in the film, one that reminded me a bit of a major player in Lasse
Hallstrom's underrated What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Fred Willard and Catherine
O'Hara are picture perfect as D.J.'s parents. Jon Heder (of Napoleon Dynamite
fame) also appears, but his character isn't really around for very long. In fact,
Heder's role is the one part that feels a little gimmicky. He serves a purpose
I suppose (he gives a little possessed house insight to the kids), but ultimately,
he felt underused.
Finally,
I have to give props to first time director Gil Kenan. This is an outstanding
freshman effort. It's hard to believe that his first movie could look this good,
but it does. I suppose anything is possible when you have executive producers
Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis in your corner. A special shout out to them
for their faith in the project.
If
I have a fear it's that this film will get buried beneath massive summer blockbusters
(i.e. Pirates of the Caribbean and Superman Returns – both of which, coincidentally,
are slyly winked at in this movie), a similar fate that buried Peter Jackson's
underappreciated The Frighteners ten years ago. October might have been a better
month to release Monster House, given the Halloween setting and all. I hope I'm
wrong and the film proves to be a hit, because it deserves it. It should be noted
however, the movie does earn the PG rating. It does have very scary moments and
a few crude gags (including a "urine in the bottle" bit that would make
the Farrelly brothers proud.
Monster
House is one of the big surprises of the summer. It's edgy without being extreme,
inventive without letting the visuals take over the show, and heartfelt without
being sticky sweet. Is it appropriate for the under eight crowd? I think so, provided
they have a parent there to comfort them a bit. The kids at the screening I attended
shrieked with delight throughout the film. Who the hell am I kidding? So did I.
