MONSTERS VS ALIENS (2009)

Sunday evening, just come through the worst hangover in living memory, curry ordered, Monday morning approaching fast.....film choice was always going to be a tough decision. I've got a couple of arty subtitled films to get through, a bit of ultra violent dross as well, but I just needed something.....well nice. And Easy. I scrolled through the film channels and there on Sky Family, was Monsters vs Aliens.



Another digitally animated film from the prolific Dreamworks studio (responsible for the Shrek series and the much underrated Jerry Seinfeld film Bee Movie), I felt safe, I had expectations of what I was getting into and I was fairly sure that they would be met. You would have cute characters, they would be voiced buy a range of current stars, there will be enough action and slap stick to keep the kids happy, but there will also be a fair dose of jokes aimed at the grown ups with film references galore, bit of peril but everyone living happily ever after.

I don't know what is more remarkable - me getting the checklist so spot on or the film ticking all the boxes so unashamedly. It seems that their is now a recognised formula for these films and Dreamworks think they've got it licked.

It's a story that has quite a bit of promise. Earth under attack from an evil Alien and Humankind's only hope are the monsters that the American government have kept locked away. There is a 50 foot woman (Reese Witherspoon), a blob (Seth Rogen), a fish man (Will Arnett), a human-sized genius professor cockroach (Hugh Laurie - hasn't he done well) and a giant bug/insect/thing. Its a clever idea that plays on the modern fascination with UFO's and conspiracy theories. At times it looks as though it will try to be daring and to play on the 1950's genre films and paranoia that went with it, but these are only flirtations and it soon gets back on to safe ground and box ticking. It all trundles along well enough, the first two acts being mechanical but enjoyable, working towards a big set-piece that feels like an ending. The trouble is, it isn't the ending. It carries on. What happens afterwards doesn't really work though and it all becomes a bit tiresome, still chucking the gags at you, enough to keep you amused, but not enough to stop you thinking about something else.

One thing this movie does have is sublime animation. It's very ambitious and relatively realistic looking so the big action scenes do look superb. A huge battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, particularly stands out as well as the real finale aboard a huge spaceship.

Once I got to that finale though and the credits rolled, I was surprised at how little effect the film had on me. It seems that the Dreamworks formula has a flaw. It does not factor in a heart, something that Pixar would not dare to forget. Films like Up, Wall-E and the Toy Story trilogy all tick the same boxes but do it with a dash of flair and creativity and above all else characterisation that really makes the viewer care what is happening.

Monsters vs Aliens is good fun, it's entertaining, it is funny (the American President should get special mention), the voice acting is well done, the action is gripping, but the whole film is instantly forgettable. It was perfect for the hungover mood I was in, disposable entertainment to go with the dirty grub I was guiltily putting away, but it's not something I would ever seek out again.