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Directed by: Gil Keenan Starring: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve Buscemi What I probably liked most about this movie was the animation. While it was CGI which I can sometimes consider a strike against it, it managed to work out as an excellent implementation of it by developing a unique style. I liked how it felt more like a claymation flick than it did like a glitzy CGI movie. I walked in expecting a kid's movie. I was practically dragged to it, but I'm glad I saw this rather than that new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Instead, I got a great movie with influences from Dahl and Burton. On the way out, many people exclaimed how scary it was when they were expecting an innocent fun kid's movie. I liked the use of voice actors. None of them were particulary famous, save for one or two cameos. I thought that was a good decision. In movies like Toy Story and Shrek they went right for the big-name famous actors like Cameron Diaz, who didn't exactly impress me for her voice acting. I thought the story was clever, and although a little simple (A HAUNTED... HOUSE?) it was surprisingly interesting. I loved how the house had aspects of a living human being (the vomiting scene comes to mind). The humor contained in the movie was great, too. "Are you guys mentally challenged? Because if you are, I'm qualified to teach you baseball." Most of those jokes probably went over the kid's heads, but I thought they were great. In all, I'd recommend it. It's definitely one of the better animated movies I've seen recently, and will probably become one of my favorites. RATING: 5 PROS: Great use of CGI, clever premise, great jokes for the older crowd CONS: Formulatic setup?? (I'm reaching) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385880/
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Jul 28, 2006 23:00
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 15:31 |
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There's many comparisons to be made between Monster House and The Iron Giant. Both are fantastic to look at. Both feature truly wonderful stories; well ahead of their times. Both are well worth not only seeing for yourself, but also sharing with your family. Unfortunately both were also doomed to failure; overshadowed by bigger budget blockbusters. This movie honestly should have been released in October; when it's plot would have truly shined amongst your usual blood and gore so-called horror flicks. Unlike so many of them Monster House is genuinely scary at times; making it a movie more suited for preteens and older rather than the small children it was marketed towards. Honestly even as a grown adult there will be times when you find yourself startled, or at the very least on the edge of your seat. From beginning to end this film does not dissapoint. With any luck Monster House will find the success it so richly deserves in the home DvD market. This is really worth giving a chance! Pros: Wonderful story, wonderful characters, wonderful animation, and truly scary points for a movie marketed to children. Cons: A rushed ending.
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Jul 29, 2006 19:37
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I just got back from seeing this in 3D and I can't believe I'm saying this, but Monster House is so far my favorite film of the year. I LOVED this film. From beginning to end. I spent probably the first 15 minutes just stuck on the 3D novelty of the film (very well done by the way), but after that I kind of got used to it and focused more on the movie itself. This is like every 80's movie I fondly remember as a kid all rolled up into one. It reminded me particularly of The Goonies and Monster Squad. The directing of the film, in terms of camera angles and character types, even had an 80's feel to it. But aside from the nostalgia factor, the film was just really well-written and entertaining. There were so many little moments that I just found fantastic, like the interaction between the cops or Chowder's little "pep talk" to the vaccuum cleaner dummy. The film just flowed really well (except for the extended flashback scene late in the film which felt a little awkward), and the climax was awesome. All in all, I loved it, and highly recommend it. 5/5
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Jul 31, 2006 09:46
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I saw this with a friend because I got some free tickets. For a kids movie, it wasn't too grueling to sit through, and some parts were pretty funny. All I can say is that this movie has a lot of bad messages for kids, haha. Hey.. your dad's a pharmacist, why don't you just steal cough syrup from his store! 3/5
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Aug 2, 2006 00:59
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Pro: The story is actually quite good - to the point of making you forget about any technical flaws in the film. The animation, for motion capture, is mostly good, even though the non-motion-capture on the house itself far outshines anything else. Napoleon Dynamite's lead actor cameo's scene is absolute gold. Steve Buscemi's character is a great and well-developed personality. Some really awesome transitions, long shots, and ultra-closeups that are only possible in a full CG environment. Con: Some of the characters are a bit flat and there are a few things left unresolved. The world of the town isn't as fleshed out as much as I would've liked. Should have been more exploration in the scary monster house than there was. Some "floatyness" to the motion capture acting here and there. Didn't care for the low framerate making things herky-jerky like a stop-motion film, except for the scenes involving the house. Some characters have altogether too flat & stereotypical personalities. Overall - Highly reccommended viewing by anyone over the age of 13 - might be too scary for anyone under that. This actually is a very good film that's mainly for young adults to college-aged teens. I look forward to future efforts by this talented new director. 4.5/5
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Aug 17, 2006 07:50
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