I have been a fan of feature animation since I was a child. Since the advent of computer-animated features in the mid-1990s, I believe that this technology has the potential of growing ever more powerful with each passing year. But there is a caveat: Power is useless if you don't know how to use it.
And on that note, I give you "Monster House". In this film, some neighborhood kids believe a house occupied by a crotchety old man is haunted. Many of us can identify with this kind of tale; even I knew of a house or two in my old neighborhood that no one went to. The lights are never on, the landscaping is shoddy, it's in some state of disrepair. Whatever the reason, a house like this becomes the subject of some exaggerated urban tale among the 11-to-13-year-old set, and it just seems to grow wilder every month. There have been other films like this in the past, my favorite of which is "The Sandlot", and there are moments in which "Monster House" tries to duplicate that sense of exaggeration, but it doesn't quite succeed.
The technology behind the making of this movie was groundbreaking, in that it's not a traditional CG-animated film. Instead, it uses motion-capture technology to enhance the performances (by both the actors and the characters), as well as a new kind of editing platform that allows for a more "organic" feel to the camera motions (even a hand-held effect). For that, I was impressed by the look of this movie. "Toy Story" (1995) will always be a classic, but this technology would have made it a different movie with a completely different feel to it.
Overall, the characters were fairly well-rounded. Even though I thought Mr. Nebbercracker's motivation was a bit hokey (to say why would mean a Spoiler Alert), I still found it somewhat believable. I did enjoy the actors' performances in this movie, too (they didn't just speak -- they acted on a motion-capture stage).
Still with all the cool technology and the director landing his "dream cast" (watch the Special Features, and you'll see what I mean), "Monster House" turned out to be an enjoyable movie, but not a magical one.
And on that note, I give you "Monster House". In this film, some neighborhood kids believe a house occupied by a crotchety old man is haunted. Many of us can identify with this kind of tale; even I knew of a house or two in my old neighborhood that no one went to. The lights are never on, the landscaping is shoddy, it's in some state of disrepair. Whatever the reason, a house like this becomes the subject of some exaggerated urban tale among the 11-to-13-year-old set, and it just seems to grow wilder every month. There have been other films like this in the past, my favorite of which is "The Sandlot", and there are moments in which "Monster House" tries to duplicate that sense of exaggeration, but it doesn't quite succeed.
The technology behind the making of this movie was groundbreaking, in that it's not a traditional CG-animated film. Instead, it uses motion-capture technology to enhance the performances (by both the actors and the characters), as well as a new kind of editing platform that allows for a more "organic" feel to the camera motions (even a hand-held effect). For that, I was impressed by the look of this movie. "Toy Story" (1995) will always be a classic, but this technology would have made it a different movie with a completely different feel to it.
Overall, the characters were fairly well-rounded. Even though I thought Mr. Nebbercracker's motivation was a bit hokey (to say why would mean a Spoiler Alert), I still found it somewhat believable. I did enjoy the actors' performances in this movie, too (they didn't just speak -- they acted on a motion-capture stage).
Still with all the cool technology and the director landing his "dream cast" (watch the Special Features, and you'll see what I mean), "Monster House" turned out to be an enjoyable movie, but not a magical one.