In an era of film that is full of recycled storylines and a plethora of remakes it's refreshing to see a truly unique idea brought to fruition. Dreamwork's newest animated feature mixes classic creature feature cinema with new age 3-D technology to create a captivating and family friendly cinematic experience.
The nightmarish creatures of the 1950s have been given a comedic revamp in this action heavy animated comedy. Slightly tweaked versions of The Blob, the 50 Foot Woman, The Fly, The Creature From the Black Lagoon and a new addition by the name of Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. come together to take on interstellar forces in "Monsters vs. Aliens."
This motley bunch of monsters includes: B.O.B., a lovable gelatinous blob; The Missing Link, a cocky, but clutch, half-man half-fish hybrid; Ginormica, a 49-foot, 11-inch bride-to-be; Dr. Cockroach PhD., a manically genius mad scientist; and a 30-story caterpillar by the name of Insectosaurus.
After being blasted by a meteor full of galactic goo, Susan Murphy, aka Ginormica, literally busts out of her wedding and is captured by the U.S.military.
When Susan wakes up she realizes that she has been imprisoned alongside a clever conglomerate of monsters. When earth is invaded by a ruthless galactic squid named Gallaxhar, the monsters are called to defend the world that put them behind bars.
Excellent voice acting brings the contrasting world of monsters and aliens together seamlessly.
Seth Rogen provides the voice of B.O.B. This brainless eating machine is relentlessly funny and adds constant comic relief to every scene in this film with his inexorably cute comments. Rogen transfers his trademark goofy humor to animation flawlessly to create yet another classic cut-up in B.O.B.
Dr. CockroachPh.D., voiced by House's Hugh Laurie, provides the perfect balance between the retro character concepts of 1950s monster nostalgia and the surprisingly creative alien invasion plotline of this film.
The stereotypical mad scientist, Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. is an imaginative character that combines the impromptu ingenuity of MacGyver with the brain power of Albert Einstein to keep viewers guessing as to what wacky invention this pint-sized doctor will concoct.
Hilarious support characters like Stephen Colbert's President Hathaway and Kiefer Sutherland's General W.R. Monger highlight the already hilarious actions of the misfit monsters. Hearing Stephen Colbert's voice emanate from a presidential figure that was obviously tailor-made for his brand of ironic humor is unbelievably funny for anyone who is a fan of his brand of political satire. Sutherland's General Monger is also an ironically hilarious character in that he seems to be an amplified version of Sutherland's trademark patriotic character archetype.
Innovative 3-D technology adds depth to the already amazing CGI that makes "Monsters vs. Aliens." Leaving the antiqued ideal of paper glasses and multicolored lenses in the dust, this film is able to bring breathtaking imagery to the viewer without seeming hokey and overblown.
"Monsters vs. Aliens" presents itself as an ingenious and inventive concept that is sure to leave families everywhere in stitches.
