Film: Monster House

As I wrote in a previous review, CGI animations seem to be ten a penny now with at least a couple being released each month. And as these things go, quality ends up suffering. Still, like any other genre there'll always be one or two that rise above the rest. Monster House is such a film.

And it's not just for kids either. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that this PG rated film is more for those who can watch a film without their parents. It's wasn't quite adult in the same way as previous animations (particularly the Pixar stuff) were, but it did have some genuinely scary bits (at least one member of my audience was reduced to tears) and some eyebrow raising (although funny) jokes: "So it's a girl house?".

To be honest, the animation wasn't great and technically it didn't really do anything for me. Instead, the makers (of which Spielberg and Zemeckis are producers) seem to have concentrated their efforts on the more traditional things that make a film like this great. As a result we have a flick with good plot, lovable characters and bags of charm.

Empire described this as "The Goonies for the Noughties", and that pretty much sums it up really. I totally recommend it.