Film File - Monsters vs Aliens

When California girl Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is clobbered by an intergalactic meteor on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet 11 inches tall. As a result, the military jumps into action and she is placed in a secret government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and held along with a ragtag group of fellow Monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr Cockroach, Ph D (Hugh Laurie); the macho half-ape, half-fish, Missing Link (Will Arnett); the indestructible BOB (Seth Rogen), and a 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. The confinement of this motley crew is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins taking over the country. In a moment of desperation, the President (Stephen Colbert) is persuaded to enlist the Monsters to combat the alien robot and save the world from imminent destruction. Other stars in this out-of-this-world ensemble include Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson), the megalomaniac responsible for the alien robots and looking to replicate a new world in his own image; General WR Monger (Kiefer Sutherland), an armed forces neocon who"s finally found a use for his collection of detained Monsters, and Derek Dietl (Paul Rudd), Susan"s selfish fiancé, who has outgrown his current weatherman position and aspires to network news greatness. For inspiration, the filmmakers looked to the far past. Since the '50s, tales of monsters, creatures and otherworldly beings have delighted and terrified people of every culture throughout the world - at first through the Hollywood low budget 'creature feature" and, eventually, the modern day sci-fi flick. In many a movie or television series of the 1950s and '60s, the genesis of the tale often began with the interception of a strange signal beamed from a planet in another galaxy, usually underscored by the requisite spooky organ music. Aliens would then arrive, intent on teaching Earth"s inhabitants a thing or two about getting along in the universe. The style of 'Monsters vs Aliens" was influenced not only by those B movies from the '50s, but also from the Mad magazines of the period, which boasted influential illustrators like Jack Davis, Don Martin and Jack Rickard. Viewers of a certain age will recognise the homage to these sources in the creations of Dr Cockroach, The Missing Link, BOB and Insectosaurus. In contrast to 'Coraline" or 'Toy Story", 'Monsters vs Aliens" is very much oriented to kids exclusively. Certainly there are those knowing asides, contemporary references and in-jokes every few minutes to keep the older folks amused, but most of the action is aimed specifically at the under-10 age group. Given that it can be seen in 3D in some cinemas does add to the enjoyment - particularly in a few very dramatic sequences like the destruction of San Francisco"s Golden Gate Bridge during an energetic confrontation where Ginormica keeps one end of the structure intact to enable commuters to drive safely off. Add in another set piece where the same enormous gal wheels about the famous hills where Tony Bennett left his heart using two SUVs as roller skates - novel stuff in anyone"s language. In the same way that 'Shrek" scored well in portraying monsters not as outcasts but a tight group of friends whose inventiveness can make them heroes, 'Monsters vs Aliens" does visit themes and plotlines familiar to most animated stories. Where it does fall flat is trying to shoehorn the Witherspoon character into their midst given that she"s become a part of the group entirely by chance - and openly yearns to be normal again. The depth of her emotional dilemma does not serve the plot well and will undoubtedly prompt queries from your youngest on the drive home - but maybe that"s not such a bad thing. This is a bright, colourful movie with excellent special effects and a comedic cast perfect for the diversity of characters required. Though it sags in a few sections, they will hardly be noticed as you spend a happy, and probably rainy, Easter afternoon in this funny fantasy world.