This film wastes no time setting the mood, it's a very Halloweeny movie, with vibrant oranges, and a creepy old man living in a creepy old house. And to be fair, even given it's age, the animation still looks really good, the characters and Mo-cap are clearly not new, but they are still quite impressive for their age, and the mo-cap, animation and directing all have a fun energy to them that keeps the movie going. Now for the characters, DJ, our hero, is a surprisingly relatable character, he's at that point in his life when his voice starts to change and he starts wanting to be treated like an adult, but at the same time he still clings to his adventurous side, and this makes him a very fun and relatable character. Cowder, his best friend, is a less complicated character, but in my opinion a funnier character, he's overly dramatic, clumsy, and his adventurous side frequently blurs the line between brave and moronic, he also says some really funny shit. Jenny, the pseudo love interest is a bit of a smart-arse, in that though she too has some really funny moments, and the romantic element is done perfectly, and in a surprisingly mature and grounded way, and like DJ, it's surprisingly relatable. Finally he have Nebbercracker, who is by far the most interesting character in the film, but for reasons I won't spoil, I'll just say things are not what they first appear with him. While the supporting characters are largely just in the background, I wouldn't call them forgettable, even if the majority of them of just stereotypes, Skull however, he's in the film for one scene, and he was hilarious. The film at first tells a very simple story, a group of kids try to play hero and save Halloween from an evil ghost, in that there is some fun to be had with the adventure, as they put together a big elaborate plan to take out the ghost. however, towards the end the film flips the script, and becomes a very emotional and personal story that I won't spoil, but at the same time the film ramps up the adventure, making for a crazy awesome finale that I'll talk more about later. Just know that this film is more than just a kiddy adventure.
This film may catch you off guard in another way, it might just creep you out, I mean it, this film has some really creepy imagery from time to time, including a brief but spooky nightmare sequence. and then there's the house itself, which is a genuinely chilling sight for most of the film, it's old, it's decaying, and weirdly, it's anthropomorphic, but, while that sounds goofy, it isn't as goofy as it sounds, and the house also has a really cool design, it's just cool to look at. The best I can compare it to is the Goosebumps books, it won't scare you as an adult, but as a kid, they're pretty creepy, and when the house monsters out it really looks cool, and even I must admit, it looks creepy. The script flip is a funny thing, because while this may be a kid's film, it's unusually dark and grim, but I'm really not going to say more. The more adventurous scenes are also pretty fun, as they try to fight the house using water guns and makeshift hoover dummies. But the film's finale is by far the best part of the film, both in terms of how visually impressive it is, and in terms of just how much fun it is to watch. It's arguable that this film's a bit of a slow burn in that regard, coupled with the creepy imagery and mature themes, and maybe this film will resonate better with adults than it will with children, fortunately, that makes it a great family film, as well as a fun Halloween movie.
Monster House is a fun and spooky adventure for the most part, and it's a lot of fun, what with it's fun and funny characters, but then the film becomes something else entirely in it's final act, ramping up the adventure, the spookiness, the emotion, everything, culminating in an explosive and touching end to a fun film that's definitely worth watching.
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