Blog Review: Monsters Vs. Aliens

Monsters Vs. Aliens
Directed by: Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
Written by: Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky
Produced by: Jill Hopper, Latifa Ouaou, and Lisa Stewart
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, and Will Arnett

Monsters Vs. Aliens, another film by Dreamworks, contains a familiar concept, human mutants who were once outcasts must now fight to save the world. While the movie won't have an overall appeal like the X-Men movies did, it will appeal to its target audience, children.

The movie begins with a young woman named Susan (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), who initially seems to have the perfect life. She has a supportive family and fiancee who has a good job and who seems to absolutely adore her. Life for Susan doesn't remain so happy for long. A few minutes before her wedding, she struck by what seems to be a meteorite from space. After being found and cleaned off by her mother, the wedding begins as planned. Things seem to be going fine until Susan beings to glow a bright green. In a matter of seconds, she grows to the size of the room and beyond. The military already knew about the meteorite and were outside of the church, ready to attack. They quickly bring Susan down.

When Susan wakes up, she is in unfamiliar territory. Shortly after she meets her unlikely comrades, Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), and The Missing Link (Will Arnett). Accompanying them is their pet-like friend Insectosaurus. She soon learns that, like her, these creatures were once normal humans as well. She also learns that now she is a gigantic "monster," the government intends to keep her in confinement the rest of her life. The government soon changes their decision, however, when they are attacked by a giant alien robot. Susan and her friends must now go from prisoners to heroes.

Considering this movie is aimed towards children, it is very well done. The jokes and sight gags are enough to keep the children and also the adults entertained for its 90 minute running time. The characters are likable and very funny, specifically the dumb and innocent B.O.B. The writers even insert a touch of drama when Susan's fiancee breaks up with her because she was stealing his thunder. Overall the movie balances action, comedy and drama very well.

The only problem, which in part is due to its genre, is its plot. While its basic idea seems somewhat new and interesting, it fails in execution. Despite its quirky and lovable characters, the plot is very predictable. Any adult member of the audience could guess its outcome fairly early on. The movie is indeed a kids movie however, which means plot progression might have taken a back seat to the comedy aspect. The movie is still entertaining and it ended the way it had to in order to be a successful children's story.

Monsters Vs. Aliens is a children's movie that is very well done. It has great visuals, jokes that appeal to any age, and lovable characters. While its plot is somewhat predictable, it still has a high entertainment factor. This movie is definitely recommended, especially for children and their families.