Monsters vs. Aliens

Theatrical Release Date: 2009 03 27 (USA - 3D) / 2009 03 27 (USA)

UPC: 097360716245

Studio: Dreamworks Animated

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:null

Summary: When human-hating aliens disrupt earthbound cable-television signals, it's up to a monster-hunting superhero to take out the pesky extraterrestrials and ensure that television viewers are not deprived in this animated adaptation of the popular comic-book series. The DreamWorks Animation release is being helmed by Shrek 2 director Conrad Vernon and Shark Tale's Rob Letterman. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Science Fiction

Features: Blu-Ray exclusives: The animators' corner (HD)
Trivia track (HD)
Ginormous extras: Karaoke music party with your favorite monsters singing the hits (HD)
3 never-before-seen deleted scenes (HD)
Paddle ball game in Monsters 3D (HD)
Top secret sneak peek files: The next 3D adventure from Dreamworks animation (HD)
Shrek's Broadway musical debut (HD)
Po's Kung Fu Panda virtual world
Modern monsters movie-making (HD)

Monsters vs. Aliens

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 09/29/2009

Audio: DTHD null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Perry Seibert

With references to House of Wax, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and George Lucas, the first 30 seconds of DreamWorks' Monsters vs. Aliens makes it clear that the filmmakers wanted to pay homage to their favorite sci-fi films. Thankfully, the genre in-jokes aren't the focal point -- they just provide amusing window dressing so that movie-savvy parents can enjoy this elegantly simple tale as much as their kids. The story centers on Susan (Reese Witherspoon), a bride whose wedding goes spectacularly wrong when she she's hit by a meteor outside the church and proceeds to grow 50 feet tall. Immediately after her transformation, the military swoops in and whisks her away to a detention center for monsters. Among her fellow inmates are the gelatinous, blue B.O.B. (Seth Rogen at his best); the half-insect, half-mad scientist Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie); and the part fish, part human Missing Link (Will Arnett). Although Susan wants her freedom, she's told that this can never happen. But that changes when the evil alien Galaxhar (Rainn Wilson) threatens Earth, and General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) convinces the President (Stephen Colbert) that these monsters are the only weapons powerful enough to stop the intergalactic threat. The action set pieces all utilize 3-D technology to impressive effect, and the filmmakers construct them to maximize the "Wow!" factor -- particularly when Susan skates through the steep streets of San Francisco with cars on her feet. Because the screenwriters make Susan the center of the movie, they don't have to bother with character arcs for anybody else, and streamlining the storytelling in this way allows the movie to skip along from action to comedy and back again without slowing down. This is a lean 90 minutes, packed with laughs and age-appropriate thrills -- not to mention a solid lesson for girls about self-respect. And while those adults fond of '50s sci-fi movies will appreciate the numerous nods to some legendary genre films, the string of references won't get in the way for kids who, if they love Monsters vs. Aliens enough, may start to discover stuff like Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Fly, and The Blob all on their own. And that's reason enough to like it. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Wallace Wolodarsky  Screenwriter 
Lisa Stewart  Producer 
Conrad Vernon  Director 
Maya Forbes  Screenwriter 
Rob Letterman  Director 
Rob Letterman  Screenwriter 
Henry Jackman  Composer (Music Score) 
Jonathan Aibel  Screenwriter 
Glenn Berger  Screenwriter 
Reese Witherspoon  Actor 
Hugh Laurie  Actor 
Seth Rogen  Actor 
Will Arnett  Actor 
Kiefer Sutherland  Actor 
Stephen Colbert  Actor 
Rainn Wilson  Actor 
Paul Rudd  Actor 
Julie White  Actor 
Jeffrey Tambor  Actor 
Amy Poehler  Actor 
Ed Helms  Actor 
Renée Zellweger  Actor 
John Krasinski  Actor 
Jimmy Kimmel  Actor 
Lisa Stewart  Actor 

Country: USA