It isn't "Toy Story" or "Shrek," but spot-on vocal casting, especially Kevin James and Nick Cannon as police officers, and a simple, efficient plot make the new computer animated flick "Monster House" entertaining for kids and amusing enough for their parents. Parents will probably find themselves smiling -- maybe even laughing out loud -- at the subtle adult-humor that's sprinkled into this kid's tale.

Everyone in young DJ's neighborhood knows that there's something creepy going on at the dark, dilapidated house on the block (think Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher"). The crazed owner, Nebbercracker, threatens to devour any child he catches on his lawn. And if you're unfortunate enough to let your basketball or kite land on his dead-tree-lined lot, consider it a goner; the lights inside may be off, but Nebbercracker is always watching.

DJ knows this better than any other kid in the neighborhood; he lives across the street and monitors Nebbercracker's attacks with a telescope from his observation tower-his attic room. He tries to convince his parents that something should be done, but they dismiss his meticulously documented evidence as the stuff of a silly obsession. It's normal to be curious at DJ's age, his dad says, and he even confesses to having done a bit of telescopic spying on a pair of twin sisters across the street when he was a budding pre-teen.

DJ's parents leave for the weekend before Halloween and entrust their son with teenaged babysitter Elizabeth, who, upon learning of the parents' departure, immediately becomes "Z," ditching her sweater for a rock 'n' roll shirt and inviting over Bones, voiced by Jason Lee of "My Name is Earl", who's "in a band." He also swills beer and frightens DJ several times before Z throws him out for trying to get fresh with her. Needless to say, they don't help DJ's cause.

Even before Z's arrival, DJ and his buddy Chowder (think Chris Farley as an animated kid) set into motion at cataclysmic series of events. When Chowder's new basketball rolls onto Nebbercracker's lawn, DJ ignores his own advice and attempts to retrieve it. The prize is nearly his when Nebbercracker emerges in an instant and grabs him, only to suddenly gasp and collapse on top of DJ. An ambulance arrives and the paramedics take him away, but as Chowder explains, "It's never a good sign when they don't put on the sirens," and they assume the old lunatic is dead.

So when Nebbercracker's house starts devouring people-literally opening up and snatching the likes of Bones and two police officers with a giant tongue-the boys reach an obvious conclusion: Nebbercracker's spirit has possessed the house and it wants revenge. And since the adults won't listen, it's up to DJ, Chowder, and a cute prep school girl named Jenny-who the boys just narrowly save from becoming the Nebbercracker house's next meal-to suppress this monster's appetite before it devours the entire neighborhood.

"Monster House," rated PG for scary images and sequences, thematic elements, some crude humor and brief language, opened nationwide on Friday.
OnMilwaukee.com Rating:

2 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by OMCreader on Aug. 24, 2006 at 12:41 p.m. (report)

Charles said: My nephew(9yrs old) and I, we saw this movie.On my personal view, it's not appropiate for children under 13. And besides, it's such a boring movie.

Posted by OMCreader on Aug. 6, 2006 at 5:54 p.m. (report)

ohmke said: you forgot to mention that it was orginally written by rob schrab and dan harmon, milwaukee natives...