Guest Author - Kathleen M. Tuggle

In recent years, animated films have proven to be lucrative box office draws. It's no wonder that many major movie studios want to get in on the animated action, but none have yet been able to surpass Pixar Studios' success at the box office. 'Monster House' is no exception.

'Monster House' is a Steven Spielberg/Robert Zemeckis project. The story is based on a frightening, angry house that likes to eat things, and people. It doesn't like people standing on its property. The story is actually a little more involved than my description, but other things about the story were so glaring, I'd rather talk about those things instead. I do want to give kudos to the set designers and animators for the scenery. The houses and background scenery are really quite good, especially the Fall leaves.

Generally, anything Spielberg touches is gold, but this film may be the exception. Zemeckis tried his hand at animated movie-making with 2004's 'Polar Express' holiday feature, but the film didn't do well with many critics. In his review of Polar Express, Paul Clinton of CNN.com referred to the animated characters as "frightening" and "creepy." Maybe Zemeckis thought he would cash in on the creepiness and make a Halloween movie instead.

I have to give this film credit, though. Only one character is as creepy as the Polar Express characters, and that's the character called "Bones". He looks like someone who likes to hang around school playgrounds. It doesn't help that this "Bones" character is found tonguing a stuffed rabbit, drinking a beer, and getting a little too "friendly" with the goth babysitter while they're sitting on the couch, in the dark.

The children in the picture aren't much better. The worst of them is "Chowder," an obese kid with a smart mouth and bad attitude. In one scene, Chowder angrily cuts down his Dad on the phone for calling him at his friend's house, after being away from home all night. Chowder further tells his Dad to "kiss his hairy butt" and hangs up on him. That seems fitting from a kid who also urinated in a Mountain Dew bottle, while keeping watch over the "Monster House" across the street.

You might be wondering why such crude humor would be included in a film marketed towards kids. I wondered that too. It's either a sign of poor marketing, or desperation. Why do film studios feel that they have to include crude, adult humor in an animated film to entertain everyone? Don't they think adults are capable of sitting still and enjoying a 'G-rated' movie? Obviously, Pixar knows better. Their newest animated feature, Cars, is number two at the box office right now... and it has a 'G' rating!

The 'Monster House' movie should be rated 'PG-13.' I read the IMDB message board for this film, and it seems that I'm not the only one who thinks the rating should be 'PG-13'. This film received a 'PG' rating for "scary images and sequences, thematic elements, some crude humor and brief language." I wasn't surprised at the off-color humor in the movie when I read the writing credits of two of the film's screenwriters. Writer Dan Harmon's credits include a comedy short called LaserFart (2004). Co-writer Rob Schrab's writing credits include Robot Bastard! (2002)

I think the companies backing this film know it's a stinker too. In my area, there have been four press screenings scheduled for this movie. When we're told we can bring as many family and friends as we want, rather than the normal one guest limit, that tells me the picture is in dire need of publicity.

To be fair to the film, my oldest nephew, and two youngest nieces, loved the film. Then again, most kids like potty humor. My oldest niece thought the characters were creepy. My sister didn't like it either.

The movie trailer can be viewed at the Official Monster House Movie Website. The film is scheduled for release on Friday, July 21, 2006.