decent but unmemorable

Rating: 6/10 (10 May 2010)

When a giant robot from outer space threatens to destroy all life on Earth, a group of adorable monsters - whose very existence has been kept under raps for decades by the federal government - is deployed to defeat the menace. One of the "monsters" is Susan (energetically voiced by Reese Witherspoon), an average California girl who becomes a multi-story giantess after she is hit by a meteorite on the day of her wedding. The save-the-planet mission she is sent on gives her a chance to prove to herself and to those around her that she has what it takes to make a difference in the world.
"Monsters vs. Aliens" is a minor-league animated effort that is clearly aimed more at the youngsters in the audience than at the adults. Kids will enjoy the cutesy creatures, the frenetic pacing, the bright colors and clean backgrounds, and the nonstop action sequences that make this feel at times almost like a "Transformers" for the pre-teen set. And speaking of other movies, the film is stuffed to bursting with cinematic allusions, ranging from "Close Encounters" to "E.T." to "The Wizard of Oz" to "The Blob" to "Attack of the 50-foot Woman" to "Dr. Strangelove," some of which will be familiar to the kiddies and some of which only the adults in the audience will be able to pick up on.
Overall, "Monsters vs. Aliens" is lively, attractive and innocuous and will probably be forgotten by most viewers a good five minutes after they've seen it - the older viewers, that is.