Tiptoeing the fine line between scary and too scary, Douglas Pipes' score to Monster House has enough wit and genuine creepiness to make it a perfect fit for the movie. Track titles like "Ding Dong/House Comes Alive!" and "Cop Car Gets Eaten" hint at the music's mix of playfulness and menace, while the juxtaposition of "Eliza's Song"'s hilariously over-the-top sweetness and the alluring spookiness of "Through the Telescope" allude to just how quickly things can change from sunny and normal to anything in Monster House's world. Perky flutes and strings provide the motif for the world outside the house, as on "Parents Drive Off," but once inside, tumultuous brass, scuttling percussion, and quintessentially eerie theremins dominate the soundtrack, as on "Jenny Walks Up/Jenny's Close Call." The music box-like xylophones and glockenspiels sprinkled throughout the score feel like nods to Danny Elfman's scores for Tim Burton's movies, as well as John Williams' "Hedwig's Theme" from his Harry Potter music. Monster House is a fine addition to this musical neighborhood. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide