REVIEW: Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) FIVE STARS
Monsters vs. Aliens
Rated: PG
Runtime: 94 minutes
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogan, Hugh Laurie.
My rating: 5 stars
Your Rating (Click stars to rate):
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The thing that separates Monsters vs. Aliens from other modern animated films is smart creativity. From the things characters do right down to the subtle nuances of the villain, this movie is original and creative.
Susan (Reese Witherspoon) is preparing for her wedding to local weatherman Derek (Paul Rudd). He loves a mirror more than anything else.
The wedding is preempted by a meteor strike that infuses Susan with “quantonium.” It causes her to grow to a giant and gain enormous strength. A secret U.S. government agency captures her and places her in a prison for monsters. There she meets B.O.B (Seth Rogan), a gelatinous substance with no brain, Dr. Cockroach, Ph. D. (Hugh Laurie). Dr. Cockroach is a mad scientist who tried to morph cockroach DNA into himself to survive a nuclear holocaust. Instead, he turned into a very smart cockroach. And then there's The Missing Link (Will Arnet), a half-fish, half-man creature.
They're all trapped in this prison until diabolic alien, Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) sends a robot probe to earth to capture Susan and take her quantonium. The government dispatches the monsters to fight the robots, thus Monsters vs. Aliens.
I was not fortunate enough to watch this movie in 3-D, but I image it is awesome. The animation in 2-D was fantastic and popped off the screen in its own right. This is a must see.
Monsters vs. Aliens is the most entertaining kids' movie since Toy Story. There are jokes for adults, kids will love the slapstick comedy, the punchlines are quick and intelligent, and the animation sequences are magnificently complex.
The imagination of the five screenplay writers and two story writers is spectacular. They reveal certain things each character can do in tight situations that you wouldn't think about, but make sense. That's a mark of a great science-fiction movie, much less a cartoon.
A film like this, from an adult standpoint, can go down the stupid path in a hurry, but Monsters vs. Aliens doesn't stray too far. I would say this ranks with Finding Nemo for complexity in the story and whit in the writing, and Toy Story for the mass of great characters consistent throughout.
There are few dull moments and I found myself smiling though most of the film. The theater was laughing, kids and adults alike. Sure, there are the stupid moments, but they don't overwhelm the film or the story.
As for the message, it's pretty basic: Love yourself for who you are and embrace that. Don't let others mold you into what they want you to be.
The star-studded cast is impressive, which includes supporting voices of Stephen Colbert, Jeffrey Tambor, Amy Poehler, Ed Helms, Renee Zellweger, and John Krasinski, It's a comedy all-star team.
Go to it with your friends, go to it with your kids, and make it your kid's birthday party. This is a truly great movie. Five stars..
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