Monsters vs. Aliens (DVD, 2009)

When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California woman named Susan Murphy (voice of Reese Whitherspoon) and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger, on a desperate order from The President, the outrageously motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the Aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!

Targeted by the government, Susan is captured and imprisoned at a secret facility where other such oddities are being held, including Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a mad scientist who accidentally transformed himself into a roach-human hybrid; B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), a gelatinous, brainless, but talkative mass brought to life in an experiment gone wrong; the Missing Link (Will Arnett), a Creature-from-the-Black-Lagoon​-like lizard man; and the skyscraper-sized mutant larva Insectosaurus. Their jailer is General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland). When deranged alien overlord Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) comes to Earth to obtain the precious quantonium and conquer the world, President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert) offers the monsters their freedom in exchange for defeating the evil mastermind. They run loose in San Francisco and Gallaxhar's giant robot quickly fixates on Susan. It corners her on the Golden Gate Bridge. Thanks largely to Susan's amazing strength and determination to keep anyone from being hurt, the monsters are able to destroy the robot. Susan takes her monster friends to visit her parents, but they frighten all the neighbors at the backyard barbecue. Derek doesn't attend. When Susan seeks him out, he breaks up with her; it's apparent that all he cares about is his career, and he doesn't think a 50-foot wife will help him move into larger markets. Susan quickly realizes that she's better off without Derek, and that she likes her new self, her new abilities, and her new friends. She rejoins the other monsters only to be snatched up into Gallaxhar's spaceship. Insectosaurus is felled when it tries to help her. Despite Susan's brief escape and determined resistance, Gallaxhar extracts the quantonium from Susan's body and she returns to her original dimensions. The quantonium is key to Gallaxhar's plan to take over the world: it enables him to create legions of clones, who march around in formation saying "Hail Gallaxhar!" Meanwhile, the surviving monsters sneak aboard to help. They set the ship to self-destruct. Only Susan makes it out of the engine room before the doors close; Dr. Cockroach, B.O.B. and the Missing Link stuck inside, insist that she escape without them. But Susan is tougher than that; she goes back to Gallaxhar and tries to make him abort the self-destruct and release her friends. When Gallaxhar tries to escape, Susan regains possession of the quantonium and becomes a giant again. After she frees her friends, they're all rescued from the self destructing ship by General Monger & Insectosaurus, who were not dead after all (just busy metamorphosing into a moth the size of a 747). Before Susan and the monster squad are called away to save another day, there's a big celebration during which Derek tries to interview Susan. She spurns him and allows B.O.B. to swallow him and spit him out, a career-killing moment that Susan makes sure will be caught on camera.

I'll give this film a 5/5 for a laugh every minute.

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In a nutshell, on the eve of her wedding day, Susan (Reese Witherspoon) is hit by a glowing meteorite which turns her into a gargantuan woman. She is quickly kidnapped by the government and imprisoned with other odd monsters who are kept in isolation so as not to frighten the human population. However, when aliens attack the earth looking for the secret energy that coincidentally gives Susan her powers, the government turns to the monsters (in a funny bit with Stephen Colbert as the President of the U.S.) to rescue Earth. As with so many successful animation works, the voices are key and this movie is no exception. In addition to Witherspoon, the film features Hugh Laurie of "House" fame as a brilliant insect, Dr. Cockroach. Will Arnett voices the Missing Link a kind of Monster from the Black Lagoon character. But funniest of all is Seth Rogen as a blue, blob named "Bob" (not giving anything away, but Bob's love affair with a Jello mold is hysterical!). The movie is pretty predictable as Susan learns to accept her surroundings, including her new found "friends" and to understand that who a person is is more about what they can accomplish and the friends they make along the way, than what they look like or what material possessions they may accumulate. Special mention on voices to Kiefer Sutherland as the General, to Paul Rudd as Susan's hapless, turncoat fiancee, Derek, and to Rainn Wilson (from 6 Feet Under & The Office) who is terrific as the evil Gallaxhar. This movie was entertaining on both adult and child levels, beautifully animated and just plain fun to watch.

I have to admit i was not impressed by this movie the first time watched it. I don;t know what we were expecting, maybe a funny Shrek-type movie as the kids ones nowadays seem to have a lot of adult humor as well as for kids, to keep us all entertained. I thought the storyline and script were kind of so-so, and it just didnt have that wow factor for me. HOWEVER -- the second time my 3 year-olds wanted to watch it, i thought it was better for some reason. Maybe because i knew the storyline and what to expect. I like Reese Witherspoon, and i think the main character is very likeable because she supplies the voice. I would recommend it for young kids, no scary scenes, and very likeable characters. A decent movie for little ones.

Yes, people Fresno CA is just loads of fun….NOT It is Channel 24 NOT 23 and channel 24 is our NBC station. Loved the films comments getting the real meaning of this city in it.

An enjoyable film. Did not care for anyone in the voice cast.

But, it is fun and you do not have to be a kid to enjoy it.

NOT up to the standard of classic Disney or Disney/Pixar films. Compare the film to the "Ice Age" films on humor, style, etc.

Let’s see, they used "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Beverly Hills Cop" music in the film.

The President character going after a funny Bush….meaning NOT TOO BRIGHT.

Military said they were holding some of the monsters for 50 years…....this character did NOT look that old.

Just, as said above, an enjoyable film.

Normal extras on it.

This movie includes characters from Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman, The Blob, The Fly (but in this movie it is The Cochroach) and The Creature From The Black Lagoon, as well as a cameo "appearance" by The Invisible Man. All these characters are combined with an attack from outer space by a giant robot and a power hungry alien. The comedy includes sight gags, one liners and high camp. It is rally fun to watch, and is safe for children over eight years old. The violence is cartoon violence, and is kept to a minimum. Even the military character comes off as being a decent human being. Only the incredibly stupid President of the United States comes off as self centered and bumbling, but this can be forgiven since it is high camp. I enjoyed watching it, and will watch it again.