Film Reviews

Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D

• Rating:
• Director: Rob Letterman
• Starring: Hugh Laurie
• Details: US / 94mins (PG).

"UFOs have landed in America... the only country UFOs ever seem to land in!" This knowing family sci-fi comedy will entertain adults and kids alike. On her wedding day, a meteorite crashes into Susan (Witherspoon), turning her into a 50-foot women, and before she has a chance to contemplate a larger dress size, she's whisked away by the army to a secret underground compound. Here she meets other monsters - sea creature Link (Arnett); half-man, half-cockroach Dr. Cockroach (Laurie); the blob B.O.B (Rogan); and Insectosaurus, a massive insect - who have been kept here in secret for years. However, when aliens - headed up by the evil Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) - invade the planet, the monsters are called upon by General Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) to save the world.

With many nods and winks to sci-fi movies - The Blob, Close Encounters Of the Third Kind, Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman, Men In Black amongst others - and with Stephen Colbert playing a cowardly president, there's enough here to entertain the adults. For the kids, there's enough wackiness (Rogan's silly B.O.B is a hoot) and action to keep them amused. Let's not of course forget the novelty factor of 3D. Although Monsters Vs Aliens mightn't utilise the 3D aspects of the action scenes to full effect, they really come out to play during the tour of the underground compound, giving the massive lair a dizzying vastness. One disappointing factor is that this comedy doesn't explore the mountain of gags at its disposal and a little more effort in the story telling wouldn't have gone astray.

Review by Gavin Burke