Going back to the ‘Monster House’ for Halloween

Monster House is a computer-animated supernatural comedy horror film about a neighborhood being terrorized by a sentient haunted house during Halloween. The film features voice acting by  Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Nick Cannon, Jason Lee, Fred Willard, Jon Heder, Catherine O’Hara and Kathleen Turner, in addition to its talented child cast.

Roger Ebert called Monster House it “one of the most original and exciting animated movies I’ve seen in a long time” and compared it to the work of Tim Burton. Ian Freer of Empire called the film “a visually dazzling thrill ride that scales greater heights through its winning characters and poignantly etched emotions. A scary, sharp, funny movie, this is the best kids’ flick of the year so far.”

Scott Bowles of USA Today gave the film a positive review, saying that “The movie treats children with respect. Monster’s pre-teens are sarcastic, think they’re smarter than their parents and are going crazy over the opposite sex.”

Amy Biancolli of the Houston Chronicle wrote, “It’s engineered to scare your pants off, split your sides and squeeze your tear ducts into submission.”

Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote: “it is a theme-park ride, with shocks and jolts provided with reliable regularity. “