Today’s CGI animation draws in both the kiddies and their not so reluctant parents. What adult wouldn’t prefer “Toy Story” to “Transformers,” “Finding Nemo” to “Paul Blart: Mall Cop?”
And these animated features respond in kind, throwing a few comic morsels our way while serving up enough cotton candy confection for the young ones.
Rarely is this two-front approach more evident than with “Monsters vs. Aliens.”
The new film features a “one for us, one for them” distribution of gags that’s brutal in its efficiency. It’s also a bit soulless, more of a second-tier success that can’t be mentioned in the same breath as “Nemo” or ” The Incredibles.”
“Monsters” is an alleged homage to ’50s era science fiction fare, but it’s very 2009 in just about every way that counts.
The film follows Susan (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), a perky woman whose wedding day is ruined when a radioactive meteor crashes on top of her.
They don’t cover that catastrophe on any TLC reality show.
The accident transforms Susan into a 50-foot titan, one whose wedding dress miraculously stretches to preserve her modesty.
She’s quickly scooped up by the big, bad military and imprisoned with other “monsters.” But when an alien invasion hits the Earth and conventional weaponry fails, the military calls on Susan and her fellow monsters to save the day.
It’s all perfectly enjoyable …. and forgettable. The young ones will delight over the 3-D animation (solid, not state of the art) while adults will chuckle at references to Leonard Nimoy and the “Beverly Hills Cop” theme riff.
Totally ’80s.
What’s missing is substance, and it’s something you won’t find much of here despite solid vocal performances all around (Hugh Laurie, Paul Rudd and Rainn Wilson among them).
Seth Rogen, who’s currently spreading himself way too thin at the cineplex, steals (or is that ingests?) the movie as Bob the blob. His character doesn’t have a brain. The movie lacks a heart. It’s kismet.
“Monsters vs. Aliens” could easily become a franchise, and it’s all but guaranteed to rock the box office for weeks to come. But anyone over 13 years of age will be hard-pressed to remember much about it beyond Bob.
(Photo: Bob, voiced by Seth Rogen, leads the charge in the new animated film “Monsters vs. Aliens.”)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I couldn’t help but noticing the resemblance of the evil baddy Galaxar to Obama. When I asked my son on the way out if he noticed anything odd about him he started laughing and said, “Yeah, he looks like Obama!”
Check out the ears, the chin and especially the mouth.
Although I agree with everything you write, I still found it a wonderfully charming, light hearted film with a great message. Reese Witherspoon leads an all star cast that was spot on. I’m glad I saw it.