Monsters vs Aliens

Title:
Monsters vs Aliens

Starring:
Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland and Paul Rudd

Genre: Adventure, Dramedy (Animation)

Review:
Hollywood’s really been buzzing with the whole ‘3D movie’ deal whereby we now have to put on uncomfortable, unflattering 3D glasses to enjoy a time out at the cinema. And nobody’s complaining ... yet, ‘cos we’re loving this new deal. It gives vivid definition to our wildest imaginings, which are depleting day by day, as the world turns uglier. ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ – not a sequel to anything but puked out like wondrous rainbow goo from the purest depths of a seven-year-old’s imagination – would do well to remind folks of the little magic and beauty left in the world. Sure it’s a “cartoon”, but who needs “live action” or “reality” when you can have a brainless, indestructible blob of jelly named B.O.B., a man-sized mad scientist/cockroach, an egomaniac half-monkey, half-aquamonster dubbed The Missing Link, a hot 50-foot tall chick named Ginormica and a cute, Godzilla-like grub called Insectosaurus? Even better, they all talk, they’re all damn funny and they’re played by a who’s-true of Tinsel Town (i.e. an artsy, gritty, still commercially-successful and tabloid-free cast including Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd and Keifer Sutherland). The movie probably got its title when writers-directors Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon and their screenwriters pit said motley above (Monsters), against a power-crazed ‘sotong’-like creature from some faraway galaxy much like our own, who clones himself into an army of Aliens and decides to invade our “miserable mud ball” of a planet. And this time, the alien invasion owes it to a wad of space goo that apparently contains enough power to rule the universe – the same goo that turns naïve, high-maintenance Californian Susan Murphy into the supersized Ginormica when a meteor full of it just so happens to bonk her on the head on her wedding day. The second you put on those 3D specs, the first 15 minutes are just one mind-clobbering moment after another, with eye-popping colours, awesome dimension and an equally dazzling dialogue from some of the funniest faceless actors since animation whiz Brad Bird’s last picture. Yet the hats you feel must go to the talented fleet of ace designers and artists who clearly gave up their souls and sanity genius-ing it all together. The last thing that strikes you with ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ is that it’s really bizarre and truly out there especially with the joke sequences, during which of course, the non-human characters get to say the funniest things. It’s all really surreal, and kind of unprecedented despite being in the animation “genre”. While the thrills and spills parts are, of course, big and groundbreaking graphically, the movie’s also fun, has a certain freshness ... and originality even – clearly giving even memorable things like ‘The Incredibles’ a fight.

You’ve Been Warned:
‘Monsters vs Aliens’ is DreamWorks Animation’s first InTru 3D Movie – and a 2D version will also be available.