‘Monster House’ finds home in BLC theater

By Oliver Joszt

Remember that creepy house where you used to dare your friends to ring its doorbell and then run? While you ran, do you remember the house coming to life and the lawn trying to consume you?

Monster House is one of the most amazing works of animation ever seen. Not only is it visually astonishing, but its storyline is fascinating and
captivating.

Monster House, directed by newcomer Gil Kenan, tells the story of DJ (Mitchel Musso) and his friends, Chowder (Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke). DJ is a typical kid in a neighborhood playing with his friends until he starts to notice bizarre things going on in the house across the street from him.

The house comes to life and becomes a living, breathing monster. When it starts to terrorize and eat unsuspecting neighbors, it is up to DJ, Chowder and Jenny to save the neighborhood from the Monster House.

One of Monster House’s strongest points is its remarkable animation, which can be found particularly in its opening scene when it follows a leaf through its various movements. Viewers see the beautiful animation that has been developed and the scene foreshadows the film’s animated beauty with the slyly deep sensibilities that can be found throughout the rest of the movie.

The amazing cast and voice-overs add to the quality of the film. Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs and Big Fish) is terrifying as old man Nebbercracker, who lives in the haunted house. Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) is perfect for the video game geek named Skull, who sits around all day at a pizza parlor and plays games.

The plotline is not as obvious as in typical animated films, which usually are very straightforward. Monster House is not as clear-cut and simple as it seems. There are many twists and turns, which further the plot and keep viewers’ attention. It is cleverly written in order to keep the audience engulfed within the film while wondering what will happen next.

What makes Monster House wonderful is that it’s perfect for an audience of any age. There are scenes throughout the movie that are scarier than many horror movies. Audience members will be holding on to the edge of their seats, wondering what will happen next.
However, the movie can get so scary and morbid that I wonder whether young children should see it. The house sucks up toys, dogs and children in a vicious and sudden manner. Furthermore, the dire and scary situations make it a heart-stopping movie that may make some kids cry.

Ultimately, though, Monster House is one of the best animated films to come out this year. The stellar cast helps make the movie come to life and provides plenty of laughs while at the same time the animation is so stunning, it will leave you breathless. The film makes viewers believe they’re watching a live action movie instead of an animated film.
After this movie, everyone will look back to that creepy house down the street and appreciate that it never came to life.