Monster House

[TeviH]

Holy cow!! I can't wait for this!! I think the animation is a bit off (they're using that "proprietary performance capture" thing which I don't think is 100% there yet) but it looks so amazing anyway!!

New trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/monster_house/high.html

[ZooRocket]

ha ha ha... great preview... looks like a side splitter. Love the end part... REVENGE ON THE PAPER GUY!

[Sentinel]

This film looks great, looking forward to it.

[AnimWatch]

Pleasantly surprised by this one so far...

[TeviH]

YAAAYY!!

It will be released in 100 theaters in 3D the same day as the regular release!!!

There are a few RealD-equipped theaters near me, I hope at least one of them gets it!!

http://www.reald.com/news_story.asp?id=184

[Roachford]

I saw 'The Polar Express' when it was playing on an IMAX theater (which was possibly the only way to really enjoy it). The motion capture definitly looks better in this film. At least the characters in 'Monster House' don't have that souless zombie look. The characters appear to have a more cartoon-like design (ala 'The Incredibles') and yet seem to be more emotionally expressive than the characters in 'The Zombie-Polar Express.' *snicker*

I read on Wikipedia (see link below) that Robert Zemeckis' adaptaion of 'Beowulf' will use a technique called electrooculography (EOG), which corrects of the souless zombie look of the characters. Maybe EOG was used in 'Monster House' as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_%282007_film%29

[Roachford]

Cool article. Did anyone see the movie?

Through fresh eyes: Monster House, Cars and the evolution of CG animation:
http://mattzollerseitz.blogspot.com/2006/08/through-fresh-eyes-monster-house-cars.html

[TeviH]

I saw Monster House last week in 3D (with RealD, using polarized glasses). I really enjoyed the movie; thought it was a lot of fun. Best animated movie ever? No, but it was fun, and the 3D was really cool. I didn't think it was distracting at all, and only added to the experience to pull you in to the story. I thought their combination of using mocap with keyframed animation was very well done, and a great decision. The mocap allowed small nuances to picked up by the actors performances, which animators might not spend the time on, while the animators went in by hand and tweaked and exaggerrated some/most of the acting. The rigging on the house seemed like a complete nightmare!! I could not imagine ever working on something like that! The complexity was incredible, and the house gave a fine - and very very cool - performance. :) The characters were fun, though maybe a little too standard. The ending was a tad too "happy ending", but it really is supposed to be a kid's movie, and having dead people in a kid's movie would not be good.

In writing this and thinking a little more about it - it probably would not have been as fun and engaging without the 3D. It really was kind of simple. I liked it, and had tremendous fun, but I might not have been as drawn in if not for the RealD effect. I'm definitely a proponent of making more 3D films, as the difference is probably like going from silent film to "talkies," or from black and white to color.

Overall: fun, but not a whole lot more

7/10

p.s. - Jason Lee seems to be quite the versatile voice actor! Syndrome in The Incredibles, and Bones in MH?? Way to go! I'm a new fan. :)

[agentcub]

I just watched this film and I have to say, I thought it was great! It's so refreshing to see something else besides talking animals. It might be a little to scary for kids. But, I liked the character designs and sets and the lighting and rendering I thought were really well done. The animation can be choppy at times, but over all, wasn't bad. And the concept art, in the special features, is just amazing. That artist has some serious skills! I recomend this movie. I thought it was a great and was a fun animated film.

P.S. - Sorry, I posted this in the wrong thread. Sorry about that.

[TeviH]

Over time, my opinion changed, and looking back, I enjoyed the film slightly more than I reviewed it - I'd give it a 8/10.

...And there is probably no comparison from seeing it in 2D to 3D!

:D

[Zensho!]

Also got to see this just the other day. It was a fun movie. Written by one of my heroes Rob Schrab who was behind the Scud comics back in the mid90s. The movie was pretty good. The highlight being the house, and how it looked and morphed.
The performance capture did bother me. I think it's because of the nature of the character design. The way they moved reminded me a lot of mascots, and how they move with their giant heads.

[jstaub]

I really enjoyed Monster House too. I had the opportunity to see a sneak-preview premiere showing of it at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood with a bunch of Sony folk. I had my doubts going in, but I LOVED the look of it and enjoyed the story too.

Awesome!