Like the books of Roald Dahl and the Harry Potter novels, Monster House does not condescend to kids, but respects their intelligence, and their ability to separate fantasy from reality.
Comment
07/21/06
Monster House (2006)
74
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:155
Fresh:114
Rotten:41
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: Monster House welcoms kids and adults alike into a household full of smart, monstrous fun.
Theatrical Release:11-08-2006
Synopsis: MONSTER HOUSE is a feat of blockbusting filmmaking--a visually stunning, witty tale that is sure to stimulate children and their parents. The film focuses on an anthropomorphic mansion, a haunted... [More]
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nick Cannon, Jon Heder
Director: Gil Kenan
Reviews for Monster House
Some of the humor is a little crude for a PG-rated film, and the material does get dark. But the animation is bright and colorful, and it looks pretty spectacular.
07/21/06
Kids probably won't mind the movie's excesses, but even as Monster House moved toward the inevitable uplifting ending, I wished Kenan and company had toned things down a bit.
07/21/06
Monster House never pulls off this transit of kiddie fright to delight and back. Yet there is plenty here to dread. The movie is a creepfest. And I don't mean that kindly.
07/21/06
Monster House is good fun. All that's missing is the indelible link between good and great.
07/21/06
Viewers of all ages who survived the 2003 film version of the Disney ride known as The Haunted Mansion will appreciate the improvement Monster House represents in the realm of old dark houses with great big secrets.
07/21/06
The overall conception suggests Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, the frenetic pacing seems as American as an apple pie in your face.
07/21/06
A comedy at heart but potentially a kid's first horror movie, Monster House is a fine introduction to the young cinephile's realization that you can have a lark in the dark.
07/21/06
Even at 87 minutes, Monster House overstays its welcome. The finale is an overbearingly loud chaos of splintered boards and sentiment.
07/21/06
Best of all, Monster House employs technology that allows for facial expressions and nuances of performance in its animated characters.
07/21/06
Monster House uses some of the same motion-capture computer-animation techniques employed in Polar Express, but in spite of its horror-movie trappings, it's much less terrifying ...
07/21/06
The house is the coolest thing in Monster House, though that's largely by default.
07/21/06
Monster House is the most pleasant surprise of the year and will undoubtedly wind up on a certain list of mine at the end of the year.
07/21/06
reminiscent of last year's shrill 'Zathura,' another film that couldn't find the proper balance between humor and horror. ...The movie has a few nicely warped ideas that remain frustratingly underdeveloped.
07/21/06
a bit too scary for kids under the age of 8 years old, but provides wonderful, funny and frightening entertainment for everyone else.
07/21/06
Had it been released at Halloween (where it surely belongs), you might count it as marginal seasonal fun. In the middle of summer, though, it barely registers.
07/20/06
It distinguishes itself as entertainment with a willingness to spill into macabre territory without losing its prepubescent sense of carefree, AM radio adventure and imagination.
07/20/06
Sure to give your kids nightmare. Like the best movie monsters, the monster house has a real tragedy at the heart of its backstory.
07/20/06
Ranks in a class of haunted house tales alongside the original Haunting and The Others. But, you know, for kids.
07/20/06
The final film isn't wretchedly bad, but clearly needed a lot more polish before being presented to the public.
07/20/06
Latest News for Monster House
September 18, 2008:
Kenan and Zemeckis Reunite for Airman 
Director Gil Kenan and producer Robert Zemeckis, the duo that brought you "Monster House," have announced plans to film an adaptation of "Artemis Fowl" author Eoin Colfer's book... More...
July 31, 2007:
Sony Planning Three More Motion Capture Flicks
You know that fancy "motion capture animation" technique that's been employed in The Polar Express, Monster House, and the upcoming Beowulf? Looks like Sony Imageworks is... More...
July 26, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Mmmmmmmmmmm Box Office Feast!
Bart, Lisa, and the whole gang from Springfield will charge into multiplexes across North America and much of the world this weekend in the highly anticipated animated comedy... More...
February 09, 2007:
Zemeckis & Lasseter to Deliver CG "John Carter of Mars"?
OK, a whole bunch of bloggers are falling all over each other to report this "speculation," but if they're on to something, it's a pretty big story. Well, a big story... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds