Monsters vs. Aliens [3-D]

Genre - Computer Animation/Sci-Fi
Year Released - 2009
Running Time - 94 minutes
Rated PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor, and mild language
Directed by Rob Letterman (who also directed Shark Tale) and Conrad Vernon (who also directed Shrek 2)
Written by Rob Letterman, (who also wrote Shark Tale) Conrad Vernon, Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky, (both of whom also wrote The Rocker) and also Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (both of whom also wrote Kung Fu Panda)


Voices Include:
Reese Witherspoon as Susan/Ginormica
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D.
Seth Rogen as B.O.B.
Will Arnett as The Missing Link
Kiefer Sutherland as General W. R. Monger
Stephen Colbert as President Hathaway
Rainn Wilson as Gallaxhar


Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:

After Susan Murphy is struck by a meteor and grows to be 50-feet tall, she's captured by the government and shuttled to a secret compound where she meets a team of other monsters - soon to be Earth's only defense when an alien attacks.

Under orders from the president, Susan and her cohorts - Dr. Cockroach, The Missing Link, B.O.B. and Insectosaurus set out to save the world.

Review:

Dreamworks pulled out their big guns making this picture - obviously looking to give Pixar a run for their money - and I must say that 3-D is continuing to get better and better! [I actually flinched, for the 1st time, when a guy was playing with a paddle ball - I totally forgot I was watching it in 3-D and when the ball came my way, I instinctively jerked back] :-)

The film opens with an amazing shot of a planet's rings and the destruction of a planet - we then follow a meteorite's trajectory to Earth, where Susan Murphy is about to get married. However, while preparing to head into the church, she notices said meteor heading her way, and while attempting to run from the meteor, she ends up running right to where it crashes. Crawling out from underneath the meteor, she dusts herself off and quickly heads into the church where her fiance [voiced by Paul Rudd] is waiting. As he prepares to kiss her, he lifts her veil, to discover that she is literally glowing - all of a sudden, Susan begins to grow to enormous proportions [there is a hilarious moment when, as she's growing, her garter belt snaps and knocks someone over]

Susan is quickly captured by the military and whisked off to a secret facility - which is so secret, that those who know of it are not even allowed to whisper its name. Here, Susan meets Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. [an obvious homage to The Fly] B.O.B. [an obvious homage to The Blob] The Missing Link [an obvious homage to both The Creature from the Black Lagoon and King Kong] and Insectosaurus [an obvious homage to Godzilla] and of course, Susan is obviously an homage to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Here's the trailer:


This is a fun film that the whole family can enjoy! [I took my 4-year-old daughter and she loved it as well] So, go enjoy the the film! :-)

Jason