Diana Saenger's Review Express

From their start in 1997 making computer animated movies DreamWorks has had some hits and misses. The 2008 Kung Fu Panda, was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award but was beaten our by Pixar’s WALL-E. DreamWorks Animation Studio has seen its highs such as Shrek and Antz but also their disappointing lows with Shark Tale and Bee Movie. Monster vs. Aliens ends up in-between, garnering laughs based on unique and lovable characters, but the film is yet another that bombards the audience with one lousy parody after another.

Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) is about to get married until she’s inconveniently derailed on her wedding day by a green glowing meteorite that transforms her into a 50-foot woman. The US military detain her and locks Susan in a top secret facility that specializes in containing monsters. Derek Dietl (voiced by Paul Rudd), Susan’s dejected fiancée, and egotistical news anchor, is beside himself with grief.

In her new excluded home, Susan meets her fellow captive monsters. Dr. Cockroach (voiced by Hugh Laurie) is a brilliant but slightly mad scientist with the head and abilities of a house cockroach. The Missing Link (voiced by Will Arnett) is a fish-ape hybrid who was

frozen in ice 20,000 years ago. B.O.B. (voiced by Seth Rogen) is an indestructible gelatinous blue mass accidentally created by a food factory while trying to genetically enhance a tomato. Insectosaurus (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel) is a one-inch grub transformed by nuclear radiation into a 350-foot super strong monster that gets easily scarred.

Hope of escaping the facility and its commanding officer General W.R. Monger (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) is hopeless until a gigantic alien threatens Earth. General Monger informs U. S. President Hathaway (voiced by Stephen Colbert) that the monsters are up to the challenge of defeating the alien and thereby saving the use of nukes. Susan and the monsters find out that the probe was sent by Gallaxhar (voice by Rainn Wilson), an intergalactic, evil alien.

What I liked about Monsters vs. Aliens are the endearing characters that keep the storyline entertaining, especially B.O.B. who steals the movie hands down. A negative aspect, at least for me, is the excessive need to be funny every second with another obscure – and adult targeted – parody. The animation is crisp, especially in the 3D version, although those polarized glasses make the movie appear a little dark. Overall, Monsters vs. Aliens is a fun family movie that can be enjoyed by all ages.