Monsters vs Aliens 3-D (DreamWorks Animation)
Best 3-D Effects Yet
In Monsters vs Aliens the 3-D effects steal the show. DreamWorks Animation has created a film that showcases these visual effects and the fun of the movie is enhanced greatly. Add to that some super vocal work by a group of talented actors and you have a hit and a half. The only negatives are a too long running time and a lack of really big laughs.
In the film Susan (Reese Witherspoon) is standing near a spot where a meteorite crashes. The resulting effect is she grows to be enormous. This causes the government to swoop down and take her to a secret laboratory where she is introduced to a group of monsters who are under government control.
There is Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), Bob (Seth Rogen), and the Missing Link (Will Arnett). Bob is a blob of goo; Dr. Cockroach is a scientist who changed himself into a cockroach, by mistake; and the Missing Link is some kind of radiated sea creature.. There is also a huge bug of some type that doesnt talk.
In charge of this lab is General W. R. Monger (Keifer Sutherland) who at first looks to be a bad guy but in actuality is a good guy. When aliens come looking for their missing meteor it is he who assembles the monsters to fight the aliens. This is after the Presidents (Stephen Colbert) efforts at diplomacy fail. The chief alien with which he is dealing is Gallaxar (RainnWilson).
The main comic in the movie is Bob. He has the best lines and is the most likely to make a fun toy from the film. He is a blob with one eye who doesnt have a brain, but that doesnt slow his personality down one bit.
Witherspoon is a perfect fit as Susan. At first all she wants to do is shrink back down to normal size but as her adventures increase she begins to adapt to her action hero image. Witherspoon has an identifiable voice and the familiarity helps the audience bond with her character.
The film is rated PG for mild violence.
Kids are going to love the characters and thrill to the 3-D effects. Things actually do seem to just fly off the screen. This has happened in the past but it seemed to slow those movies down, in this one it just makes what is going on onscreen that much better.
Monsters vs Aliens is a movie that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike. It isnt a Disney movie but it feels like one and thats a good thing.
I scored Monsters vs Aliens an out of this world 7 out of 10..
