Monsters Vs. Aliens

The Common Room Other Animation
#101

Well, my sister and I finally saw it… on the day it came out (because we were bored and had absolutely nothing else to do on a Friday night). :stuck_out_tongue:

To be honest, it wasn’t half bad! I had my doubts, but the thing was better than I thought it would be, more in the plot-line than in anything else. DreamWorks definitely has a solid grip on the technical side of things, as always – the animation, action sequences, and conceptual art is absolutely mind-boggling. To say that they’ve advanced in the field of computer software and knowledge is an understatement.

The story itself started out as fairly interesting, but then seemed to deteriorate as the the film wore on… before picking up again towards the end. This is simply my opinion on the matter, of course.

As Disney_Guy previously stated, the character development could have been stronger, regarding the monsters themselves (and excusing Susan). I also felt that the backgrounds of those characters weren’t explored enough; they were explained too quickly. Susan, however, had a nice arc, mainly because she was the central entity, of course. I really did feel for her at the beginning of the film, and was rooting for her towards the end.

My favorite individual, by far, is Dr. Cockroach. Weird looking dude, but he’s kinda cute. I don’t know what all the fuss over B.O.B. was about. He barely contributed to the story at all. He just sat there, man! (“Sorry, I was looking at that… bird over there.” - Bob [Although that was kinda funny, I must admit…]) At least Dr. Cockroach actually did something. :stuck_out_tongue:

The only problems I really had with the production were, 1) the human characters were too realistic in my eyes (not that this is a new one for DreamWorks, but it still kind of disturbs me), and 2) that “OMG” quote by the cockroach dude (come on, you’re a doctor, for Pete’s sake; show some class!). Other than that, it wasn’t too disappointing. I’d gladly see it again, mostly for the humor (because I’m a sucker for those crude jokes; heh).

Disney_Guy - I respect your integrity. For anyone to bash a production right off the bat due to its maker’s notorious reputation in film-making is ridiculous. Never judge a book by its cover, I always say.

– Mitch

#102

Saw Monsters vs Aliens with a friend tonight. It was pretty good. I enjoyed it. The animation was wonderful. Dreamworks definitely knows what they are doing! I didn’t find the story too captivating. Had some weak spots. Personally, I wasn’t too surprised as Dreamworks seems to be more concerned about the humor than the story in my opinion. Not a bad point because you need movies like that for a laugh. I agree with others that the character development could’ve been stronger… save for Susan. Like Mitch said, she had a nice arc.

The humans, although quite realistic, I felt had funny facial features going on with the chins and noses and I got a bit distracted by that. :laughing: I watched it in 2D but there were some scenes that I could tell where composed for 3D and am interested in watching it in 3D at some point just to see those scenes because I think they’d be real neat.

#103

Disney_Guy summed the movie up perfectly for me… good, but not great. Some funny parts, but "missing link"didn’t really do anything, at least Hugh Laurie and Seth Rogan are funny for the other two.

I have to admit that Colbert’s president was pretty good, [spoil]as was the keyboard intro to the giant robot… [/spoil]got a good laugh there.

2.5 out of 4

#104

Some of the jokes in this movie fell so flat as to make me hostile. But let me critique this movie piece by piece. First of all, no matter how startling the animation, if the story sucks, the movie sucks. The monsters were actually interesting, but don’t expect any aliens, just alien. It should have been entitled ‘Monsters Vs. Alien and His Bot’.

I have to agree with someone else here that much of the movie lacked a heart. The 50ish style of a heartless government was counterbalanced by some people you would be willing to fight for, just not the govt or the military. The jokes were dumb for dumb people, all too often. The things the govt did, well their containment area for the monsters was interesting, but was pretty stereotypical.

The preview is exactly what you get in the movie, and the bigger they are, the more interesting to me: the woman, the bug and the bot. This movie is about as good as Madagascar. Yeah, miafka, the woman was the star, the gel was funny in his conception, how he came to be as was explained, and some of his lines were ok.

Why is it making so much money? Well, what else is out now, with Watchmen fading from memory so fast. MvsA was massively advertised thruout the holidays. This past couple of weeks was spring break for a lot of schools.

lizardgirl. FYI: in the year 2017 Dreamworks will release ‘Mvs.A4’, with Gadzooks, a giant chameleon bot (they won’t be ripping off Transformers, dont worry) attacking a large Japanese city at the behest of Ergo, one of the missing Argonauts and now presumably an alien. There is also Egad, a kinsman and comic relief. Mark your calendar. Enjoy.

#105

Finally. Our reviews are up for Monsters vs. Aliens. Our consensus for the movie was three stars. You can click on our signature to read them.

EVE,
One Movie, Five Views

#106

TAMATER - That gag has to be the dirtiest trick in the Handbook of Enemy Deception! I had a good laugh out of that one too! For someone with no brain, BOB sure thinks fast!

Mitch - You thought BOB was useless, you shoulda seen how many times The Missing Link failed! Maybe that was part of the running gag with him (how he’s all ‘macho’ yet incompetent when it comes to a showdown). I have to agree the faces of the human characters were kinda freaky, I couldn’t stop staring at the President’s chin! And “OMG” quote wasn’t the worst part of Dr. Cockroach, his degree in which he got his doctorate was the biggest joke!

Hannahmation - Again, I have to agree with the chins. That was really freaky! Did I say the chins were freaky? Oh, and you should definitely check it out in 3-D, especially the opening space sequence and the city invasion scene. Very nice.

carlfredricksen - Yup, they shoulda called it the “Missing Fink.” But he’s an endearing character, as are the rest of the monsters. But seriously, Axel F, Dreamworks? After Space Chimps?

DarkHand - Well, technically, Gallaxhar had an army of clones at the end, so the plural isn’t really unwarranted. But I’m gonna have to agree with you that the Easter break crowd is sure gonna give Dreamworks a crap-load of cash. I wouldn’t be surprised if your Mvs.A4 prediction comes true!

OneMovieFiveViews - Read your reviews. Pretty much the same opinion all round, so it was easy to reach a consensus this time round eh? Totally support your rating, that’s how I felt too: Above Average. Neato promo sig btw.

The Australian tabloid “The Daily Telegraph” gave it a rating of 3 1/2 stars and was very patronising. Not once did they mention the weak plot, instead praising the special effects. At one point they mentioned the story was “credited to five writers.” No surprise there. As Lisa Simpson would say: “A soulless by-product of committee thinking.” Although I wouldn’t exactly call it “soulless”, but you know… “too many cooks…”

The Sydney Morning Morning Herald was more brutally honest. With a rating of 3 stars, the headline reads “Attack of the 50 foot woman with the really small plotline.” Some choice quotes:

“Monsters vs Aliens is Dreamworks… doing what it’s always done, whatever dimension it operates in. It’s spoofing it’s own business - movies and their rituals and traditions.”

“Once again, big names have been recruited to do the voices.”

" As to whether it’s involving, that’s another question. I think not, for Dreamworks still has a lot to learn about the superior powers of immersion exterted by a well-told story."

As you can tell, there’s an air of resigned indifference in the reviewer’s tone. Although I’m not as jaded, I really hope Dreamworks can cope up with something fresh and original rather than parodying another genre or spinning another sequel to an existing film. :slight_smile:

#107

thedriveintheatre - Ha! You’re right. Did The Missing Link even do anything? I know B.O.B.'s appetite solved a few things, and he acted as a bungee cord at one point, but I don’t even remember if “Missing Link”… Oh, wait! Nevermind. He was integral at the end of the film. Well, still, you’ve got a point. Heh.

At least his degree came in handy, even if it was a bit awkward. (snigger)

– Mitch

#108

They might have been tempted to give Ginormica a loud voice, kind of like what Bolt the superhero version had with superbark. There is a late 50’s movie of a giant woman walking around town, opening up roofs, and yelling something. She was apparently angry with her husband. In that case radiation was the culprit, if I remember right. So give DW credit for not making this latest big woman SonicBooma.

Then there was The Incredible Shrinking Man. Some sort of glowing matter from outer space came to earth and landed on a bathing man’s chest and you know the rest.

#109

Was watching an Ellen repeat (cable channels, gotta love them), and Reece Witherspoon was on promoting this. Now really tempted to watch it.

Is the technology normal 3D, or something like Disney 3D. where there’s special 3D glasses used? Can I use normal 3D glasses? (I wear glasses, and I went to watch Journey to the Centre of the Earth in 3D, and I couldn’t keep my glasses on with the 3D glasses, so I had to remove my glasses, and watch the movie, in quite a blurry state. I was thinking of getting my own 3D glasses, especially because Up & the Toy Story remakes are coming up, but I’ve heard that digital 3D needs special polarized lenses…)

#110

Phileas - I saw the movie, and where I went, they gave out the usual ‘Real D’ 3-D glasses like I got at Bolt. I was able to wear them over my glasses, and I know that other people around me could too. I think that they are designed to fit over regular glasses - at least here in North America. They are special polarized lenses, and the effect is really good. It doesn’t cause the same kind of headache problem as before, with the red and blue 3-D stuff.

Quoting the ‘Real D’ website; “They are designed to fit easily and comfortably over prescription eyeglasses.” Read more here: reald.com/Content/Cinema-Products.aspx

Oh, and to let everyone know, I really enjoyed the movie. It was a lot of fun!

  • C-3PO
#111

My sister and I went to see the film again yesterday, this time in 3-D. It does play off better in a three-dimensional format, I have to admit. The visuals are more striking, for one thing. That said, the main reason we went to see it in 3-D was for the Up trailer, which was also nice to see in three-dimensions (although I still prefer the 2-D format).

Agreed. Thank goodness they didn’t overdo it in that respect.

– Mitch

#112

Just to make it clear again, I did see it. As my first post in this thread says, I saw it in 2D, so I probably missed the whole beauty of the movie since everybody’s been praising its 3D effects.

Storywise, again, it was generic. And I’m not even comparing this film to any Pixar films to stay as unbiased as I can. This was nowhere near Kung Fu Panda’s quality, and it’s particularly disappointing since I thought Madagascar 2 did a better job at character development. I thought DW was doing much better in this regard up until MVA.

#113

ES - Oh, then sorry I wrongfully implied you haven’t watched it. But again, that means we share the same opinion! I also felt Madagascar 2 had a little more character developin’ goin on. Dreamworks needs to up their ante or it’s gonna get stale, fast.

The Sun-Herald (the Sunday edition of the SMH) also ran a review in the entertainment section. The critic was too generous, he gave it an 8/10 rating (He also awarded the mediocre Inkheart the same score). :neutral_face:

Anyway, the title read:
“Fun freak show isn’t Pixar-perfect.”

Some choice quotes:

“This is one of those almost-great animated films that never achieves the cinematic brilliance of a WALL-E but is reliable entertainment for the whole family.”

“As seems to be a pattern with this movie’s producer… which made Antz (a lesser version of Pixar’s A Bug’s Life) and Shark Tale (which trailed Pixar’s Finding Nemo), Monsters Vs Aliens is an also-ran to Pixar’s stunning Monsters, Inc: energetic but lacking in emotion.”

The same reviewer also did a summary in a school holiday movies guide in the Kids section:

“No plot to speak of and Monsters, Inc. and WALL-E had classier visuals.”

I wouldn’t compare MvA with M,I, but I’d pretty much agree with the other points. :slight_smile:

#114

Yeah, a lot of critics and reviewers seem to like comparing Pixar films to Dreamworks films. Jonathon Ross said that Monsters Vs. Aliens was enjoyable, especially for the kids, but it didn’t have enough stuff going on for the adults, and he went on to use Toy Story and The Incredibles as examples of films that are the some of the best in terms of being enjoyable for absolutely everyone and not just children.

#115

lizardgirl - Ditto that. If only Dreamworks could rise above their infantile, juvenile and ultimately puerile humour, they could be great. I hope they do it better next time, especially since their next project is How to Train Your Dragon, which could be as good as Pete’s Dragon or even Dragonheart (the ultimate dragon movie), and not another Eragon or D-Wars.

To cynical folks (like Yours Truly) who are sick of Dreamworks’ sequels and lame titles, you’re gonna love this! It’s the next chapter in the MvA franchise:

Monsters vs Aliens vs Bears!

Courtesy of the hilarious parody team Black20 on IGN! Personally, I’d love these guys to do a take on a Pixar movie just for kicks!

Dreamworks has also taken a leaf out of Pixar’s book when they did the Buy 'N Large spoof website last year, and created their own viral promo:

Top Secret Conspiracy

Although not as brilliant or well put-together as BnL, there are some amusing references to government secrets and conspiracy theorists. An interesting read for MvA fans.

#116

drivein - Yes, I know we agree on that, just wanted to clarify because that’s two of you who aren’t sure if I saw it or not based on my earlier post. :slight_smile:

I actually don’t mind DW’s humor. To that, i try not to compare DW films to Pixar films anymore, just because they’re always going to be cut from a different cloth.

What I mind is lazy storytelling for the sake of humor. DW needs to follow their KFP template. I thought that was the perfect way to blend their sense of humor with great storytelling. I thought Madagascar 2 tried to follow that as well, though it wasn’t as good as KFP, I thought it was a huge improvement of Madagascar 1.

MvA was a step back to Shrek the Third territory.

#117

My review for Monsters vs Aliens has hit the press last week in my first student publication debut! :smiley:

It’s kind of weird (and a massive ego trip, heh) to see your name in print, and know that thousands of students around campus may be reading your rookie effort at film criticism… but it’s gratifying and humbling at the same time. :sunglasses:

I’m quite annoyed the editor chose to ‘censor’ some of my snide jibes at Dreamworks and a few other animation geek references, either because he didn’t find them funny or because he thought the layman wouldn’t ‘get’ the jokes. Nevertheless, I’m grateful that he has given me this wonderful opportunity to write for his magazine, and for that, I’m glad.

Below is a scan of the review as seen in circulation, and a transcript of the original review. The words that are striked out were my original version that were rejected, and the ones in italics are his ‘inserted’ replacements. You can see how different the original copy was from the final print version. :wink:

"Following recent battle royales like Freddie vs. Jason, Alien vs. Predator and Pirates vs. Ninjas (okay, last one’s a fib), Dreamworks has unleashed the wittily titled Monsters vs. Aliens.

After a radioactive meteorite flattens our protagonist Susan, she becomes a giantess, whereupon she’s captured and incarcerated in a secret government facility. There, she encounters a menagerie of fellow freaks. When an alien invades Earth, they’re called upon to save the day.

Far from being original, Dreamworks always excelled excels at parodies. MvA continues this tradition, lampooning 50s horror movies, the plot sounding like Hellboy 2 met and Dr Strangelove.

Naturally, Dreamworks were ‘brilliant’ enough to hire an expensive cast instead of using in-house animators like a certain competitor. The story’s predictable story is formulaic, with Susan being the only character to have a development arc, outshining her two-dimensional (ironic for a 3-D film) sidekicks. However, the The action sequences were spectacular, though.

While watching this movie, I wondered: Is there a loo big enough for Susan? Did I just hear Jack Bauer? Or Axel Foley? Again? After Space Chimps? There is enough inside jokes and pop cultural references to keep viewers guessing throughout the film. Another Dreamworks hallmark.

Overall, an above average flick; light on plot, heavy on action. I recommend catching it in 3-D and staying for the credits. Personally, I’d rather watch Lasseter vs. Katzenberg.

Rating: 3 and a half stars."

Comments and thoughts much appreciated! :smiley:

#118

thedriveintheatre - That’s cool that you played a part in print! Congratulations to you!

I can kind of see why the editor chose to exclude some of your comments. There were a few grammatical mistakes, for one thing (not to sound nit-picky or anything). Also, perhaps he didn’t want it to look like you were “taking sides”? I do disagree with his decision to omit your jab at Dreamworks for hiring highly-acclaimed actors in exchange for disregarding the plot as an entity of lesser importance, though. Personally, I thought it was quite humorous. He should have left that in, at least!

Well, in any case, nice work! :wink:

– Mitch

#119

Dude, that was sweet. Reading your review was just really enjoyable. I could agree with everything you wrote in your review.

#120

Glad you were able to put your review up. It’s good.

EVE,
One Movie, Five Views.