So much average

disgusting, overrated, pointless

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

If you look at almost any still-frame of 'Monster House (2006)', it would be easy to mistake for it a stop-motion affair. This is both a blessing and a curse, granting a unique and uniquely unsettling aesthetic to a picture that is, for all intents and purposes, kind of awkwardly animated and designed, as it falls victim to (relatively) early CGI capabilities - of both technology and artist - and a mixed-message approach to its overall look and feel. Though this causes some head-scratching contrast when it comes to its realist versus absurdist presentation, thankfully it usually tends to add to the movie's overall off-killer vibe. The balance between its comedy and kid-friendly horror is struck fairly well, while the more 'adult' themes and motifs play nicely into its scrappy '80s adventure' style plot to create something that feels suitably old-school and even sort of emotionally resonant. By mixing stylish 'architecture-horror' and occasionally more fantastical stuff with slightly more 'realistic' ghostly elements that tie directly into a fairly nuanced backstory, the picture manages to pull all the right, if predictable, strings. 7/10

Interestingly this received a mixed reception upon release, but as time has gone on it slowly garnered a following. I can see why, especially for younger audiences. Halloween films designed for the whole family are rare these days and I do think this was released way ahead of its time. A couple of kids believe their neighbour's house is actually alive after the owner is rushed to hospital. Conducting their own little investigation, the kids are involved in a story that is slightly more personal and evokes sympathy. This is an unusual film, considering it's produced by Zemeckis and Spielberg. It's got the 80's adventure vibe that Spielberg is famous for and a similar style animation that Zemeckis used for "The Polar Express". This is one of those rare films where my score flips constantly, this time between a six and seven. There are many great elements. The inclusion of subtle horror and terror blends well with the witty script. Not enough to scare everyone but an adequate amount to frighten children. The characters were memorable and full of life, each hosting a differing personality so that the dialogue bounces back and forth consistently between them. The narrative moves along at a rapid pace, in fact rather impeccably well. The most important thing, and the major thing I'm sure you all took away from this, is that it teaches you what a uvula is. Literally. Whenever I think about this film, instantly the uvula pops into my mind. The biggest problem however is the third act. It's completely preposterous to a point where I'm thinking "...surely someone is going to see the giant house walking down the street attacking children?". The animation is slightly polygonal occasionally which does take you out of the film. However, it's a good Halloween film that captures the magic of older similar films. It only gets better with age, just prepare yourself for a stupid ending.

With shades of October classics like Monster Squad, Monster House is a halloween movie just about anyone can enjoy. Though on the outside it may look like a "kids movie," it doesn't pull its punches and isn't afraid to put our heroes in legitimate danger, leading to the same sense of joy one would get when watching a movie like The Goonies.Part of what makes it such a joy is the movie's overarching mystery regarding the titular house itself. The secret to successful horror is to keep the audience guessing, and Monster House is great at this. There's a few big mysteries lurking inside the Monster House, and the movie takes its time building a tangible, winding suspense. The monster itself is absolutely awesome in motion, and some of the most creative use of visual effects out there.But... about that. This is one of the movies to use Robert Zemeckis' "performance capture" technology, which is an overly complex, incredibly expensive way to take real people on real sets and digitize their movements into computer animation. The more stylized, claymation-esque aesthetic of Monster House makes it less creepy looking than Zemeckis' other movies (The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol) but it still veers too close to the uncanny valley in some scenes. Characters can vary wildly between looking like puppets, cartoon characters, and unsettlingly realistic people in a way that can look a little gross. Without getting in to a debate about the value of real animators and hand-crafted animation versus using a computer to auto-digitize the movement of physical actors, I'll just say that this performance capture stuff continues to look wholly unnecessary in Monster House, but it doesn't spoil the movie. It just didn't need it.Monster House didn't just exceed my expectations, it juked around them like a football player. Every time I thought I knew right where this movie was going, it took a left turn, and kept me entertained the whole time. It's a kids movie that almost feels on the edge of not being suitable for children -- and if you ask me, those are the best kind.

You know i am getting tired of how parents complain about how awful the movie is, yeah there a few themes that are not suitable for children but if you are so concerned about your children being corrupted by a simple movie? Then might as well control everything they watch. Because honestly they will see and hear things worse at school. The movie had it is flawed but it isn't a bad movie. The movie should be given a lot more credit, overall it doesn't have anything badly. A lot of movies for children put adult humor for the parents sake, and the children won't exactly understand so why try to diss on a movie that certainly deserves some credit?