A bit stunted but undeniably fun

Rating: 7/10 (26 May 2009)

If there is one movie this year that you would expect bar none to be the most fun this year, then that movie would have to be Monsters Vs. Aliens. Why? An irresistible premise, a massive ensemble comedic cast and boasting three whole dimensions, the latest dreamworks animation kid flick has everything going for it, and yet ultimately the whole endeavor feels strangely stunted; the story seems stunted, the action sequences seem stunted and many of the character arcs seem stunted. Not that much of the above will matter to kids, nor to the adults who go with them, nor did it matter much to me but there are simply so many better films out there (*cough Pixar*) that the bar has been permanently raised to such heights that even mammoth monsters or alien technology cannot reach. Ultimatelty the success of the film lies with the voice cast which includes Reese Witherspoon as Susan (later forcefully renamed Ginormica) Seth Rogen as the blathering B.O.B., House's Hugh laurie as Dr. Coachroach, Will Arnett as The Missing Link, Kiefer Sutherland as the steely General W.R. Monger, Rainn Wilson as the evil alien Gallaxhar and finally Stephen Colbert as the dimwitted President of the U.S. While cute and likable Witherspoon doesn't have quite enough pizazz to pull off voice work and the show is mostly stolen by Rogen, Arnett and Laurie. There is scattered genius throughout Monsters vs Aliens, in the satire of monster movies and alien invasion scenarios and simply with some of the hilarious writing and impeccable delivery. Alas it ultimately feels like the little brother of The Incredibles; lacking the full punch, consistently snappy screenplay and pulse-pounding action that will literally thrill young and old; here young an old will only be amused. The plot is simple and the story progresses at a nice pace, beginning with Susan being struck by a meteorite (that coincidently is sought by Gallaxhar for devious purposes) that causes her to grow to enormous size. Quarantined by the government she is imprisoned with the other aforementioned misfits until general Monger comes up with a proposal; prevent the alien invasion and earn their freedom. Unlike most animated films where a sequel almost always feels forced and is always more disappointing then the first, I actually believe the contrary here. Now that the set-up is complete and the lovable monster team is assembled they can one-up themselves with a full-throttle monster/alien brawl. The series has potential, that much is certain, and the right balance of kid friendly and adult amusing antics are present. All Dreamworks need to do is give the source material that spark that made their other efforts like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda irresistible and ultimately rewarding.