Thursday, September 24, 2009

Monsters vs. Aliens



DVD & Blu-Ray Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Giant Bride Saves the Planet in Animated Adventure on DVD

Despite planning the perfect wedding, Susan Murphy’s (Reese Witherspoon) big day ends-up derailed by a series of disasters. First, her self-absorbed fiancĂ©, Derek (Paul Rudd), asks at the last minute if she would mind honeymooning in Fresno instead of Paris, so that he could schedule an audition for a TV news anchor position there.
But that annoying inconvenience pales in comparison to what transpires next when she’s struck by a mammoth meteorite falling out of the sky shortly before entering the church. And by the time Susan walks down the aisle, the guests can’t help but notice that the bride isn’t blushing anymore but glowing iridescent green and gradually morphing into a 50-foot tall platinum blonde blessed with superhuman strength.
This development soon comes across the radar of General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland), the head of a top secret federal agency assigned to hide any proof of paranormal phenomena from the public. So, he dispatches soldiers armed with tranquilizer darts to subdue Susan and to cart her off to a maximum-security government facility where four other genetic anomalies are already housed.
There, Susan, aka Ginormica, bonds with her fellow freaks of nature: B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), a brainless, but indestructible, gelatinous blob; Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a brilliant mad scientist; Insectosaurus (Conrad Vernon), a 350 foot-long, silk-spitting worm; and the Missing Link (Will Arnett), an amphibious hybrid which looks like the first creature to crawl out of the sea on the evolution chart. And just when they’re on the verge of giving up any hope of ever seeing the light of day again, a flying saucer lands in California with an army of menacing clones aboard.
After the aliens’ diabolical leader Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) announces “You will all die,” General Monger unleashes the rag-tag team of superheroes on the horde of invaders from outer space. A spectacular epic battle ensues up and down the streets of San Francisco, on the Golden Gate Bridge and below in the Bay in this CGI-driven animated adventure that’s all about the wow factor.
A wholesome family flick that’s fun for kids from 4 to 104.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated PG for sci-fi action, crude humor and mild epithets.
Running time: 94 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: Modern Monster Movie Making, 3 deleted scenes, Monger's Plan, War Room Turns on Monsters, If You Don't Know, DWA Music Video Juke Box, director’s commentary, The Tech of MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, sneak peeks, How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek The Musical, Kung Fu Panda World, The Penguins of Madagascar, Shrek The Halls, Secrets of the Furious Five, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS and an Activision Game trailer.


Blu-Ray Extras: B.O.B.'S BIG BREAK in Monster 3D & 2D, Paddle Ball Game in Monster 3D, Modern Monster Movie Making, 3 deleted scenes, Monger's Plan, War Room Turns on Monsters, If You Don't Know, DWA Music Video Juke Box, director’s commentary, The Tech of MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, sneak peeks, How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek The Musical, Kung Fu Panda World, The Penguins of Madagascar, Shrek The Halls, Secrets of the Furious Five, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS Activision Game trailer, Karaoke Music Party, Animators' Corner - Picture-In-Picture, and a trivia track

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