Back in the old days, we might get one feature-length animated film from Disney every year or so. But many of this summer’s hits -- first Cars, then Beyond the Hedge, and now Monster House, with more to come -- have been animated features. They’re popping up all over the place.

The plot of Monster House is absurdly simple. In an otherwise manicured suburban neighborhood sits a lot with a ramshackle house that the local kids think is haunted. A mean-spirited old man, Nebbercracker (voiced to perfection by Steve Buscemi), is its only resident. He chases kids away when they stray onto his lawn, puts up "Do Not Trespass" signs, and is regarded by parents as a harmless nut. The kids know otherwise: The house "eats" things that are never seen again -- a kite, a tricycle, perhaps a person.

Things come to a head one night before Halloween. The hero, young D.J. (Mitchell Musso), who is just entering puberty, sees the house for what it is. He and his friend Chowder (Sam Lerner) set off on an adventure that will take them inside the house to learn its secret. Everything turns out OK in the end, but along the way, we are often scared that these characters will not reach a happy conclusion.

The script is a marvel. Though Monster House will be considered a kids’ movie, it is for adults as well, and carefully navigates difficult waters to keep its PG rating. The heavier bits will go over the heads of most young children even as they are thoroughly enjoyed by older kids and adults. There are tributes and references to horror movies such as Nightmare on Elm Street, and a hysterical nod to Jack Nicholson’s classic line in The Shining. When that happened, not a kid chuckled, though I laughed aloud. Monster House has something for everyone.

The kids are realistically portrayed; issues of puberty, friendship, courage, and teamwork are all addressed. They look good, too -- Monster House employs the motion-capture technique seen in Robert Zemeckis’s Polar Express. That film spooked me -- the characters looked so real that I was never sure. In Monster House the characters are very fluidly rendered, and the rest of the animation is first-rate as well. The house itself is a masterpiece. When it comes alive, the windows become eyes, the front porch slats become teeth, and a carpet rolls out the front door like a snake’s tongue. I wondered what might happen if this Monster House were pitted against Howl’s Moving Castle.

Every mystery presented in Monster House is cleared up by the end, with one exception: The film was obviously intended to coincide with Halloween, trick or treat included. Why was it released in July?

Although none of the very young children at the showing I attended left the theater traumatized or in tears, parents should nonetheless take the film’s PG rating seriously. And be sure to stay for the closing credits, which include a summing-up and more funny scenes. And please remain seated. People stood up in front of me, about to leave, then stayed there, still standing, when they realized there was still more of Monster House to watch. Thank goodness most of them were kids under four feet tall.

• Go Back