Spooky House

My family and I just watched this and enjoyed it. If you want a gentle, young children appropriate, not-scary hallowe'en movie with a happy ending, this one may suit. It's not supposed to be a Hollywood blockbuster. It's for a young audience that still believes that magic can be real and good things still happen.

After a troubled performance, magician The Great Zamboni (Ben Kingsley) has retreated to his Spooky House with his pet jaguar Shadow. Mona (Katharine Isabelle) and her two idiot male minions are causing havoc and burns down his van. They steal a goat from a group of children. The kids track their goat to the Spooky House and they break into the house. Zamboni befriends Max who is scared to be sent to the orphanage.

It's a little kids movie. It does have the greatness that is Ben Kingsley and he's trying to give this light family entertainment real weight. Little kids would like watching these little kids exploring the magician's house and learning some magic tricks. This is really only for little kids and maybe not even for them. It's not fast paced enough or brightly colored enough. If it could spend more time with the little characters, it could make this more compelling. They should at least give them the chance although they don't seem to be good actors.

I was skeptical about watching this movie, as although I really enjoy children's movies, this one LOOKED like it might be a bit too childish. But to my surprise, there is quite a story to it, for the young and old! Matt Weinberg is one of the most charming little actors I have ever seen! The movie, of course, consists of many magic tricks, which makes it very pleasant to watch. There is also familiar music, that is so entertaining! Give it chance, especially if you have to entertain the wee little ones :)

Just watched Spooky House on Sky Movies, and my daughter and I both enjoyed it. The magic element was good to watch, with sufficient mild horror to keep an 8-year old happy (and jumping), and the wonderful Ben Kingsley for her mum!

I actually found the dummies in the magician's house quite scary, having always been a little afraid of ventriloquists' dummies since I was a child.

Spooky House was actually more fun to watch than Disney's Haunted Mansion, as it didn't have all the inane plotting of that film. This was simple movie hokum that just leaves you feeling glad you watched it.

Its a B movie with a weak story trying to mix between Home Alone and the haunted mansion with a very silly story.