With dreary weather engulfing Charlottesville and end-of-the-year assignments piling up on desks, it was the ideal weekend to escape to Carmike 6 to experience DreamWorks Animation’s new 3-D film, Monsters vs. Aliens.
Monsters vs. Aliens begins where most PG animated films end; the female heroine awakens the morning of her wedding day. Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is set to marry her news anchor beau Derek Dietl (Paul Rudd) when he announces that instead of her dream honeymoon in Paris, the newlyweds will celebrate in Fresno, Calif. because Derek has an audition at a more prestigious news channel. Even more unfortunate for Susan, the move will be permanent.
Susan hides her disappointment, rationalizing that the pair is a team and Derek would do the same for her if the situation was reversed. As Susan comes to grips with the new reality, a meteorite filled with Quantonium — a precious, yet powerful substance — hits Susan and she grows into a powerful giant named Ginormica.
Immediately the U.S. government is summoned and Susan is taken to a secret facility where other monstrous indiscretions are incarcerated. While imprisoned, Susan befriends the brilliant Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie), the macho reptile-like creature that is The Missing Link (Will Arnett) and the brainless blob B.O.B. (Seth Rogen).
When the evil alien Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) discovers that Susan holds the Quantonium, he decides to invade Earth to steal the potent chemical and conquer the universe. Consequently, President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert) grants the monsters freedom on the condition that they defeat Gallaxhar and his army of clones.
In line with the cosmos theme, the cast is filled with comedic stars. Rogen steals the show as he falls in love with a platter of Jell-O and offers hilarious observations. Colbert proves amusing as the president who constantly confuses the buttons for the latte machine and the activation of nuclear missiles. As alien robots invade San Francisco, Colbert declares a terror level of “Code Brown” because he needs to change his pants.
In a theater predominantly packed with elementary school kids and their parents, it seemed like at moments the adults were laughing louder than the children. While the slapstick humor appealed to the kids, the adults enjoyed references poking fun at America. In satiric form, the president’s advisors mused, “What would Oprah do?” Similarly, upon being released from a 50-year stint in prison, The Missing Link quipped, “It feels warmer outside ... What a convenient truth.”
Monsters vs. Aliens follows Susan as she finds her inner strength and independence. In a world where females are socialized to stand by their man, it is refreshing to see Susan reject Derek at the film’s end and ironically leave the United States for Paris.
The 3-D graphics seem to be the newest trend in animation technology. Although the realD glasses provided for the audience allow for intensified clips and awesome visual effects, the $9 to $11 ticket price does not suit most people’s wallets, especially considering the current state of the economy.
But with breathtaking animation, witty dialogue and an uplifting message, Monsters vs. Aliens proves to be a worthwhile adventure that is out of this world.
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