Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters Vs. Aliens, as great as it is, feels like a step backwards for DreamWorks Animation. With Kung Fu Panda the studio made a film that could contend with some of Pixar’s work, which is why it’s kind of painful that their latest effort couldn’t keep pace. It’s not a bad film by any stretch, in fact, for the most part it’s very enjoyable. At the end of the day, that’s really all it needs to be.
Monsters Vs. Aliens begins with Susan (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) ready to get married to Derek (Paul Rudd, surprisingly). Unfortunately she’s hit with an alien asteroid that contains “quantonium” that causes her to grow 50 feet. She’s abducted by the government and informed by General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) that monsters have existed since the 50’s but the government has kept them underground in an effort to protect the public. Susan then meets B.O.B (Seth Rogen, a parody of The Blob), Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie’s take on The Fly), The Missing Link (Will Arnett does The Creature of the Black Lagoon) and Insectosaurus (a parody of the ToHo Monsters.) They’re called upon by the government to be freed to due battle with Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) who plans to take over the earth with his clones.
While it’s not as classic as Akira or WALL*E, Monsters Vs. Aliens brings it in spades with entertainment. The plot is very simple and the film really is more concerned about the characters than it is with telling a grandiose story. It still entertains better than any animated flick since robots fell in love. The standout is Insectosaurus, who is on his way to being the “cute, cuddly” character of the picture. Truly, it’s hysterical to watch him – ready to eat everything one minute then struck dumb when a bright light is shined in his eyes. He’s a nice throwback to the ToHo monsters, and that can be said for the rest of the characters as well. The references are really a testament to the filmmakers’ willingness to keep the adults in the audiences interested. The kids won’t get it, but B.O.B.’s introduction has a scene very similar to The Blob. Even The Missing Link’s appearance is what The Creature of the Black Lagoon would look like if Disney got their hands on him. They’re nice little touches that show the filmmakers care for the material they’re taking on, something that can’t be said about a certain vampire phenomenon.
DreamWorks tends to get all-star ensembles for their animated pictures and this is no different. Leading the way is Reese Witherspoon, who unfortunately isn’t very good here. At times she’s tolerable but frequently comes off painfully annoying. She seems like a child actress who just got their first voice acting role and doesn’t hit the right emotional notes. As a supporting character it wouldn’t matter too much but as a lead it hurts the film. Joining her is Stephen Colbert who voices the President. He’s genuinely unfunny, broad, and everything around him that evokes laughter are the gags around him and not what Colbert does with the character. The rest of the cast is great, including Seth Rogen, surprisingly. B.O.B. comes off as the stereotypical goofy character that all these films have but B.O.B. manages to not annoy. It’s half how he’s handled and half how Rogen delivers him, which is well-intentioned but genuinely stupid creature.
The performance that will probably go underrated is Hugh Laurie’s turn as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. He’s overconfident and charming, which is almost the polar opposite of how Laurie is on “House, M.D.” He’s not the most badass character (that goes to either The Missing Link or Ginormica) but he’s the most enjoyable of the bunch. Will Arnett would be right behind him with his Missing Link. Part of me wishes these two could have a standalone film where they’re partners. The Missing Link does some of the coolest stuff and has some pretty killer lines. Kiefer Sutherland was a treat as General W.R. Monger. Who better than Jack Bauer to be a 90-year-old running a secret government operation? He’s emulating R. Lee Ermey, sure, but that doesn’t matter since that’s what his character requires.
The animation in this is nothing short of stunning, and it’s dressed to the nines in 3-D. This is where I strongly suggest that to get the full experience you trek out to your IMAX theater and enjoy this in IMAX 3-D. I won’t lie that seeing a ball fly at at me added to my enjoyment of the film. It was filmed in Tru3-D which really immerses you in the world. Many times I was so wrapped up in the film where I felt like I was a part of an animated world. You know it’s bad when you exit the theater and do a double take. I’m of the belief no words are going to do the animation or 3-D justice and that it needs to be seen rather than me babbling on about it. Again, 3-D IMAX is the only way to experience this film and it is worth the voyage.
Which is why it’s disheartening the plot isn’t as good as it could have been. The film is very much a “look at how cool I am” type and yes it does entertain in droves. I’m also glad there’s some simplicity here but Pixar sets the bar high and things seemed to be going in the right direction with Kung Fu Panda. Monsters Vs. Aliens is not as atrocious as Shrek the Third or Ice Age: The Meltdown but it still feels like a step backward. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, as the film will entertain the kids and still should be enjoyable enough for adults. As a 3-D IMAX experience, I’d give this four out of five stars but as a regular film…
