Monster House

The house is alive. The house eats people.

I know I've got your attention. Monster House is not for the faint hearted, not if you are a kid and haven't even reached puberty yet.

Monster House hides a really dark secret. So dark, that the owner, Mr Nebbercracker (voice of Steve Buscemi) is adamant that no one should ever step on his lawn. Not even a footstep.

Meanwhile, DJ (Mitchell Musso), who leaves opposite Mr Nebbercracker's haunted sanctuary, is left with an unreliable babysitter Zee (Maggie Gyllenhaal) while his parents go off on a holiday. His friend Chowder (Sam Lerner) plays baskets with him and through this, they learn of the home's dark history.

Apparently, the house is possessed by a restless spirit Constance (Kathleen Turner), who happens to be Nebbercracker's wife. She died 45 years earlier as a result of a freak accident and hence, her spirit has overwhelmed the entire household, including her beloved husband, who, not to the children's knowledge, is trying to protect them from his vengeful sweetheart.

After learning of that frightful truth, DJ and Chowder, together with prep school student Jenny Bennett (Spencer Locke), they go on an adventure to save the entire neighbourhood from the grasp of a restless child-hater spirit. Nebbercracker joins in the gang as well, much to their surprise, as they thought he had died from an earlier incident.

There isn't much to be said about the cast, as seasoned players such as Buscemi, Turner and Gyllenhaal are no strangers to the big flicks. But Musso, Lerner and Locke deserve mention, as they have proven, albeit on a smaller scale, that they have what it takes to make it big.

Perhaps it is too early to heap praises yet, but nonetheless, it is a good headstart for them. As for the effects, I can only be mesmerized by how much technology has advanced beyond my comprehension. I can bet, it would not be very long before animation turns into reality. They don't call it virtual reality for nothing.

Since it is a horror movie catered to kids, I didn't find myself covering my face with a pillow, heart skipping a beat or screaming my lungs out. But I still found space for a little laughter here and there, thanks to the antics of the trio, and Nebbercracker's ability to joke.

Now THAT'S funny.