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Monster House

No monster hit

By BROOKE HOLGERSON | February 20, 2007

1.5 Stars

Shot using the same motion-capture technique that made The Polar Express such a creepy Christmas story, Gil Kenan’s Monster House only partly avoids the visual problems of its predecessor. The faces of the three child leads remain weirdly inexpressive, like pieces of molded plastic, but it’s the story that will likely freak out the little kids. Left with an inattentive babysitter for the weekend, DJ, his best friend, and the bossy girl they both like investigate the creepy house across the street. Kenan takes traditional haunting to the next level by making it the house itself (voiced by Kathleen Turner) that’s possessed, and here the animation works, perhaps too well: some scenes may be too scary for the younger viewers who drag their parents out to the theater. The house rants and rages, but the characters are boring, even when their lives are at risk. When a film’s house is its most compelling character, you shouldn’t expect a monster hit.

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Topics: Reviews , Kathleen Turner, Gil Kenan

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Watch the trailer for Monster House (QuickTime)

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