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MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (Rated PG for sci-fi action, mild profanity, some crude humor)
An alien force attacks the earth, which is saved by a 50' woman and a quartet of freak monsters - all of whom have been sequestered by the military, then set free when needed to do their world-saving business.
I saw the film in 2D, but from what I could note, the use of cumbersome glasses was nothing short of extraneous.
Dreamworks' flicks are a mix of impressive movies and movies made purely to make money. This one, sorry to say, is one of the latter.
There's nothing special about it. It's pleasant enough and entertaining when the action - as it usually does - explodes in every direction, loud and fast. But when it slows down for little philosophical moments, it stops dead in its tracks.
Seems animations like this one have been sold on the basis of a cast of names rather than on the visuals and effects (which, with their homage to old sci-fi flicks are frequently more fascinating here than the voices behind them). Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert (disappointingly underused), Paul Rudd - any of which could be served by lesser reputations with adequate results.
Speaking of visual effects - and this struck me heavily after a few minutes into "12 Rounds," which relies almost entirely on catastrophic action - a crossover is occurring: animated movies and action flicks use the same kinds of demolition excitement - noisy climax after climax & quick-cuts to sustain interest. And they look alike, too, thanks to their respective filmic ways of demonstrating crashes, explosions, etc., which are endemic in both.
OK, so it's not very special and so it relies more heavily on action than on humor (no one among kids & adults were laughing; they just stared and popped popcorn into mouths). I guess that was its intent and that is what it accomplished - a nice, passable 97-minutes with the kids in the dark.
Archived Movie Reviews
August 2009
- JULIE AND JULIA (A-)
- G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (B-)
- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (B)
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- POST GRAD (F)
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- TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (D)
- PUBLIC ENEMIES (B+)
- ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (C+)
- BRUNO (D+)
- HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (A-)
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- G-FORCE (F+)
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- UP (A)
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- THE HANGOVER (C+)
- LAND OF THE LOST (D+)
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- The Proposal (B-)
- Year One (D)
May 2009
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- ANGELS & DEMONS (B-)
- Earth (B+)
- NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 (B)
- TERMINATOR 4 (D+)
- DANCE FLICK (D-)
April 2009
- FAST & FURIOUS - #4 (C+)
- HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE (B-)
- OBSERVE & REPORT (D+)
- DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION (Grade: F)
- STATE OF PLAY (B+)
- 17 AGAIN (C-)
March 2009
- THE UNINVITED (B-)
- NEW IN TOWN (F)
- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (A)
- WATCHMEN (B-)
- DEFIANCE (C+)
- DUPLICITY (B-)
- I LOVE YOU, MAN (C-)
- KNOWING (C-)
- CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (F)
- MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (B-)
- THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT (C+)
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February 2009
- TAKEN (C+)
- GRAN TORINO (C)
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- PUSH (B)
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- THE PINK PANTHER 2 (D)
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January 2009
- BRIDE WARS (C-)
- MY BLOODY VALENTINE (C+)
- HOTEL FOR DOGS (C+)
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- AUSTRALIA (B+)
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- W (A-)
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- BOLT (B)
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October 2008
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- QUARANTINE (D+)
- MAX PAYNE (C-)
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- HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR (C+)
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September 2008
- BANGKOK DANGEROUS (C+)
- DEATH RACE (D+)
- VICKI CRISTINA BARCELONA (B)
- TRAITOR (B-)
- MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL (F)
- RIGHTEOUS KILL (B-)
- EAGLE EYE (C-)
- NIGHTS IN RODANTHE (D)
August 2008
- THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (D)
- SWING VOTE (C)
- THE SISTEROOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 (C+)
- PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (C-)
- TROPIC THUNDER (B+)
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- THE ROCKER (C)
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July 2008
- WALL-E (A)
- WANTED (D+)
- HANCOCK (A-)
- HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (B+)
- JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH - in 3D (C+)
- MEET DAVE (D+)
- THE DARK KNIGHT (A-)
- MAMA MIA! (B-)
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June 2008
- SEX IN THE CITY (B-)
- KUNG FU PANDA (A-)
- YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (D)
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- THE STRANGERS (D+)
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- THE LOVE GURU (D)
May 2008
March 2008
- DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO (B)
- PENELOPE (B)
- NEVER BACK DOWN (C-)
February 2008
- The Eye (C)
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- Fool's Gold (D)
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- Jumper (C)
- Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (C)
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January 2008
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- ONE MISSED CALL (D-)
- THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP (B+)
- ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM (none)
- BUCKET LIST (B+)
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December 2007
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- The Game Plan (D)
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- Sydney White (D-)
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- Superbad (B-)
- No Reservations (B-)
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- The Nanny Diaries (C)
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- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (B+)
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- Ocean's 13 (B+)
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- Blades of Glory (C)
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March 2007
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- Zodiac (B)
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February 2007
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June 2006
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