Mar 27, 2009 12:00 am US/Eastern
Monsters vs. Aliens
By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
Classic creatures from the 1950s get a high-tech makeover, with a healthy amount of attitude, in this 3-D animated adventure.
The Blob, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Fly — they're are all here, led by The 50-Foot Woman, who's now 49 feet, 11 inches as voiced by the diminutive Reese Witherspoon. (Animation, by the way, is a great fit for her, and for both the crispness and sweetness in her voice.)
Far from being menacing, they're optimistic misfits who just want to be loved and understood. Rather than destroying each other, they're loyal friends who've been trapped together as government test subjects, only to be unleashed on the world when an alien invasion requires their unique powers.
It's an enormously clever concept — no pun intended — with a choice voice cast. Who else but Seth Rogen could play a lovable blue blob named B.O.B., who always has a smile on his gelatinous face?
Will Arnett essentially revives his hilariously cocky-but-clueless "Arrested Development" character, Gob Bluth II, as the half-fish, half-ape Missing Link, and Hugh Laurie lends his rich voice to the British mad scientist Dr. Cockroach.
Directors Rob Letterman ("Shark Tale") and Conrad Vernon ("Shrek 2"), working from a script from about a half-dozen people, maintain a high energy throughout, although the explosive climax feels bombastic and repetitive.
While bright and colorful, the three-dimensional effects in these situations never really inspire a sense of awe. Rather, they provide a tangible sense of depth but fall short of completely immersing you. PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language. 94 min. Two and a half stars out of four.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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