‘Monsters vs. Aliens’ somewhat forgettable

Monsters vs. Aliens is just one in a seemingly endless cycle of 3-D animated films, and doesn’t really do anything to distinguish itself from any of the others. It reportedly cost about $175 million to make and doesn’t really show, given that it’s 80 minutes and has about 2 or 3 action sequences.

My guess being that the money went to the actors, such as Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen and Hugh Laurie. The only ones to show any personality are Seth Rogen as the shapeless, brainless yet charming blue blob B.O.B., and Stephen Colbert as the President. If it sounds like I hated the film I truly didn’t, there just absolutely was nothing that stood out at all.

An ordinary woman named Susan is about to be married to a boring jerk when suddenly an asteriod falls near her and she grows to about 49 feet tall. The US government seizes her and she’s branded a ‘monster’. She is locked inside a top-secret facility with other monsters, including B.O.B., a super-genius called Dr. Cockroach, a fish/ape named The Missing Link, and Insectosaurus, a big dumb adorable insect that’s about 400 feet tall and really really dumb. Suddenly, aliens drop onto the Earth and the government needs help. This is where the title comes in.

Another amusing cast member is Kiefer Sutherland, (Jack Bauer of ‘24′) as a Southern, cigar-chomping General. His role is small, but memorable. The best scene is where Susan, adjusting to her new height, decides to use some cars as rollerskates to defeat a mega alien boss.

The animation is somewhat impressive, especially in the last half-hour, which is injected with action. Rather formulaic action sequences, but somewhat impressive.

Monsters vs. Aliens is a likable movie, how much you like it depends on your age. However, at least for me, it was too formulaic and bland. Seth Rogen as B.O.B. as well as Kiefer Sutherland have amusing roles, but it’s not enough. C.

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