L. KENT WOLGAMOTT / GZO | Posted: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 7:00 pm
Everything you need to know about the business of movies is illustrated by “Monster House.”
It is set on the day before Halloween, yet the picture is being released in mid July. That should be a cause for headscratching. But do the math and you’ll see how calculated the release date really is.
With an ever shortening window between the time a picture hits theaters and when it is available on DVD, the timing of “Monster House” is just about perfect for it to be available in stores in mid October. So it’s a Halloween release, after all. It’s just that release is for home viewing, a much more lucrative market than theaters. So, as is the case with many movies, the theatrical release could almost be seen as advertising for the DVD.
“Monster House” is also one of the dozens of pictures being made with computer-generated animation — one of the few film genres today that appeals to audiences of all ages.
Specifically, it uses the same live-action-to-animation technique popularized in “The Polar Express.” Robert Zemeckis, who directed that picture, is the executive producer of “Monster House,” and it is clear that the technology has made some strides forward. In particular, the facial expressions of the characters, who are filmed in a “black box” environment, then converted to computer animation, are much more free and lively. But for me, at least, there’s still something cold and artificial about the technique.
As it did in “The Polar Express,” however, the computer animation allows inanimate objects to function as characters, which is even more crucial in this case because house is the monster in “Monster House.”
Here’s how the story goes: 12-year-old DJ (Mitchel Musso) is convinced that his across-the-street neighbor is up to some kind of creepy no good, stealing toys that land on his lawn and terrorizing kids. Spying on old man Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi), DJ and his buddy Chowder (Sam Lerner) decide they need to take action.
Together with their brainy but beautiful new friend, prep-school redhead Jenny (Spencer Locke), they take action and when DJ walks onto the lawn, Nebbercracker freaks out and has a seizure. The kids think he’s dead, but the house is still consuming things.
The cops won’t help them. In fact, the two dunderheaded policemen (Kevin James and Nick Cannon) are eaten by the house. So is the obnoxious Bones (Jason Lee), the boyfriend of babysitter Zee (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
To save them, and stop the house, the kids must make their way inside, learn the secret of the malevolent building and then try to destroy the structure before it destroys them.
That makes “Monster House” a pretty scary affair for a PG-rated movie — especially as directed by Gil Kenan, a recent UCLA film school graduate who’s making his feature debut here.
Full of fast cuts that slam one scene into the next, “Monster House” is a picture for the short-attention-span generation, coming fast and furious from start to finish. That frenetic pace keeps the movie gripping even as its obvious story starts to play out during the rather extended ending.
Technically, the picture is superb, with great use of color and design. The menacing house is lots of fun, enough that the oddness of the computer-animated characters eventually fades away into the story.
Overall, the voice acting is strong. The kids do well enough to make the story go, and some of the supporting characters are a real hoot, particularly Gyllenhaal.
“Monster House” has some lines that are aimed at adult viewers, but this one’s mostly a kids’ movie. It might be a bit scary for the littlest viewers, but it’s a good Halloween adventure that will resonate with tweens on down. They can see it in July and then get the DVD in time for a good scare in the fall.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.