Rough neighborhood

Morbid Monster House squanders some very good elements by pandering | Andrew Coffin

A cleverly animated CGI cartoon with no cuddly animals—score No. 1 for Monster House. A plot that brings to mind both the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark—score No. 2. A quirky collection of voice talent that includes Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jon Heder, Fred Willard, and Kevin James—score No. 3.

But Monster House (rated PG for scary images and sequences, thematic elements, some crude humor, and brief language) squanders most of the good will these elements generate by also pandering to the worst impulses of kids and, perhaps more pointedly, adults who'd like to believe that they'll never become as stodgy as their parents.

First-time director Gil Kenan utilizes motion-capture technology, an animation technique pioneered in The Polar Express (and used by Peter Jackson in bringing Gollum and King Kong to life in his live-action films). Motion capture—which applies animation to live-action footage of actors covered by special sensors—produces some interesting results, but it often generates character movements that are oddly stilted. Though visually striking, Monster House shares none of the fluidity and grace of a film like Cars.