`Monsters vs. Aliens' plays sci-fi for laughs.Byline: Daniel M. Kimmel COLUMN: MOVIE REVIEW The bar has just been raised in the competition for mainstream American animation. Pixar has consistently set the standard, and DreamWorks Animation (with the exception of the original "Shrek") has been the also-ran. DreamWorks turned out good films ("Over the Hedge," "Madagascar"), but they were always second-best. With "Monsters vs. Aliens," DreamWorks has made it clear it intends to make Pixar work for its reputation. This hilarious spoof of science fiction and monster movies doesn't require that you know movies such as "The Blob," "The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," "Mothra," "The Fly" or "Creature from the Black Lagoon," but it helps. It begins with a prologue where we meet Susan (voice of Reese Witherspoon) on her wedding day. Unfortunately, this is also the day Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson Rainn Dietrich Wilson (pronounced "Rain") (born January 20, 1966) is an Emmy-nominated and two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winning American actor. He is known for his roles as the neurotic Dwight Schrute on the American television comedy The Office, ) is invading the Earth. A side effect of his attack is that Susan is exposed to radiation that makes her grow into a woman dubbed Ginormica. She is subdued and hustled off to a secret government site where she meets other monsters in captivity. There's the mad scientist Dr. Cockroach cockroach or roach, name applied to approximately 3,500 species of flat-bodied, oval insects forming the order Blattodea. Cockroaches have long antennae, long legs adapted to running, and a flat extension of the upper body wall that conceals the (Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE (born June 11, 1959) is an English actor, comedian and writer, and musician. He is known professionally as Hugh Laurie. Early life and education Laurie was born in Oxford. ), the Missing Link (Will Arnett William "Will" Emerson Arnett (born May 5, 1970) (pronounced [ˌɑɹˈnɛt]) is an Emmy Award-nominated Canadian-American actor known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B. ), the gelatinous gelatinous /ge·lat·i·nous/ (je-lat´i-nus) like jelly or softened gelatin. ge·lat·i·nous adj. 1. Of, relating to, or containing gelatin. 2. Resembling gelatin; viscous. B.O.B. (Seth Rogan) and Insectosaurus. They have been in captivity for years but are now to be released by Gen. W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) to fight the alien invasion
To give the film a human element, Susan remains the most "normal" of the monsters, and there's bit of pathos when her fiance (Paul Rudd) turns out to be a heel. In that sense the movie is the story of Susan's realization that she can accomplish things on her own, and those goofy monsters may turn out to be the best friends she ever had. One of her dilemmas is whether she wants to go back to her old life, or embrace her new giant-sized identity. With a likely sequel in the offing coming; arriving in the foreseeable future. visible but not nearby. See also: Offing Offing , you can anticipate her choice. The animation and effects are top-notch, whether you see this in 3D with the special glasses or in traditional 2D. Indeed, a fateful battle on the Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge, across the Golden Gate from San Francisco to Marin Co., W Calif.; built 1933–37. Its overall length is 9,266 ft (2,824 m); its main span across the strait, 4,200 ft (1,280 m), is one of the longest bridges in the world. Joseph B. is more exciting here than it would have been in any of the films they're spoofing. The climactic showdown aboard Gallaxhar's ship is similarly thrilling, while working in references to everything from "The Wizard of Oz Wizard of Oz reaches and departs from Oz in circus balloon. [Children’s Lit.: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz] See : Ballooning Wizard of Oz false wizard takes up residence in Emerald City. [Am. Lit. " to "Mars Attacks!" The voice cast is strong, as is par for DreamWorks Animation, with Hugh Laurie wry as the slightly mad Dr. Cockroach and Seth Rogan stealing the show as B.O.B. the blob. Rogan gives this none-too-bright character a certain earnestness that makes him endearing. Watch the scene at a party where he tries to hit on a dish of Jell-O. "Monsters vs. Aliens" is the first really memorable film of 2009, and clearly the most fun. Fans of "Monsters, Inc." - the Pixar film that lost the Oscar to "Shrek" - will have a similarly good time at "Monsters vs. Aliens." `Monsters vs. Aliens' ***1/2 A DreamWorks Animation presentation Rating: PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes ART: PHOTO CUTLINE: Ginormica, voiced by Reese Witherspoon, powers through the atmosphere in "Monsters vs. Aliens." |
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