Movie Info

RATING:

PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language

GENRE:

Animation, Action Comedy/Science Fiction

RELEASE:

March 27, 2009

STARRING:

Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, and Paul Rudd

DIRECTORS:

Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon

DISTRIBUTORS:

DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:

www.monstersvsaliens.com

 

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MOVIE REVIEW

Monsters vs. Aliens

Movieguide Magazine

What's This?

CBN.com - Spoiler alert! - Monsters vs. Aliens is an action-packed animated spoof of 1950s science fiction movies, about a group of monsters sent by the government to defeat a tyrannical alien out to destroy and enslave the people of Earth. The fun – and the comedy – never lets up in Monsters vs. Aliens, which has a lot of cartoon action violence and witty comedy.

The Plot Thickens

The action comedy begins right away when a mysterious, glowing meteor plummets to earth. The meteor strikes virtually on top of Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), who’s just about to get married to Derek (Paul Rudd), a conceited local weatherman. Just before the wedding ceremony begins, Susan starts glowing -- and growing until she reaches 50 feet tall and her hair turns white.

A cadre of soldiers suddenly appears looking for the meteor. They tie Susan down and knock her out with a huge syringe.

Susan wakes up in a huge prison, where a crazy general named W.R. Monger (voiced by Keifer Sutherland) has imprisoned several other monsters, including a giant caterpillar named Insectosaurus, a mad scientist who’s turned himself into a cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a reptile man called The Missing Link (Will Arnett), and a blob of blue goo called B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), short for an unpronounceable chemical. Susan is renamed Ginormica and confined to the prison.

Several weeks later, a giant robot lands on Earth, sent by the evil alien squid named Galaxhar (voiced by The Office’s Rainn Wilson), who’s looking for the energy in the meteor that transformed Susan. The robot begins storming around the country. General Monger convinces the president (Stephen Colbert) to send his monsters to defeat the robot and save the world from imminent destruction. Neither Susan nor her newfound friends are prepared for this battle.

The Fun Never Ends

The fun – and the comedy – never lets up in Monsters vs. Aliens. In fact, this is one of the more exciting animated movies from DreamWorks. There is plenty of action violence, however, and some offbeat moments. There is also a feminist message, but not in a radical way that hits viewers over the head. For example, through her experience, Susan learns how to be her own independent woman. Even so, this message of independence is not meant just for females, but is part of the movie’s theme that people should embrace those qualities that make them unique and different. In that sense, the message conveys the tried-and-true American ideal of individual independence and responsibility.

This message comes out particularly strong when the self-involved Galaxhar starts cloning himself in massive quantities as part of his totalitarian invasion of earth. In the end, the monsters work together to defeat this wannabe dictator’s evil plans, but, ultimately, it is Susan’s inner strength, both physical and non-physical, that inspires the other monsters and saves the day. Susan risks her own life to rescue her friends and Earth from the tyrannical alien and his evil plans.

Say What? – Questionable Content

Strong moral worldview with redemptive elements and positive American qualities and ideals, plus, however, Romantic and feminist elements, and evolution talk about being a Missing Link; no obscenities and two light profanities, one during a song; strong action and comic violence such as people and creatures in jeopardy, aliens shot with laser guns, explosions, buildings and large objects destroyed, meteor lands, almost killing young woman; no sex; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking; and, ambiguous message about marriage and asexual blob creature with male voice first talks about romance with friend’s fiancé then talks about romance with a Jell-O desert, which he refers to as a she.

Address comments to:
Sumner Redstone, Chairman/CEO, Viacom
Brad Grey, Chairman/CEO
Paramount Pictures
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038-3197
Phone: (323) 956-5000
Web site: www.paramount.com

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