Review

Review Date: 24-July-06
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Monster House (2006)

"Monster House" is the nicest surprise of the summer, a movie which should entertain both young 'uns and grown-ups without insulting the intelligence of either. Devised from a script by Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, and Pamela Pettler, this animated charmer takes place one Halloween when a brown-eyed boy named DJ (Mitchel Musso) is left at home by his parents and puts himself in the way of adventure. DJ's recent hobby has been surveilling the house across the street, a ramshackle affair whose ancient owner, Mr. Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi), strikes terror into the hearts of neighborhood children. Whenever anyone sets foot on Nebbercracker's lawn, he storms out of the house spitting venom and confiscates any toy he can grab. DJ is looking for a pattern to the madness, or maybe he's just bored. Or perhaps he enjoys the consistency of the old man's behavior, since he's on the brink of adulthood where nothing seems comfortably secure.

In any case, his hobby gets interesting after the baby-sitter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) arrives and commences ignoring DJ in favor of her punk-rock CDs and slacker boyfriend. First, his goofy sidekick Chowder (Sam Lerner) precipitates an apparent tragedy by rolling a basketball onto the forbidden lawn. Then the boys meet (and become smitten with) red-haired Jenny (Spencer Locke), a self-assured girl from the other side of town who reluctantly agrees that the owner isn't the oddest thing about Nebbercracker's house. For the domicile itself starts showing an inclination to eat anyone who approaches it. The kids initially turn to authority figures for help (including a pair of cops voiced by Kevin James and Nick Cannon), but of course that doesn't get them anywhere. It becomes clear that if the terror is going to be stopped, they're the ones who will have to do it.

"Monster House" boasts beautiful animation along with mild suspense, easy humor, and a persistent note of dark truth. DJ and his friends are lovable in a non-cutesy way, and the secret they uncover is a poignant indication of the reality they're to face as adults. But despite a sober undertone the story is ultimately uplifting. Like all good tales about coming of age, the ending suggests that although everyone must grow up, some people can take the best qualities of childhood on the trip. DJ, Chowder, and Jenny save the neighborhood by caring about other people and each other. Their adventure is a delightful reminder that the sweetness of youth can conquer demons.

Copyright © 2006 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.