Review: Monsters vs. Aliens

Anyone who knows a thing or two about films today knows just how big the 3D debate has become over the last few months. Plenty of films are being made for a 3D audience nowadays. Is it a good thing. Here’s my view: A few days ago I went to see Monsters vs Aliens. The opening sequence involves a short scene set in space, as the camera glides through planets and the like, all I can remember thinking was “Wow, I’d really like to see this in 3D”. The thing is, throughout that opening sequence all I could THINK of was how nice it would look in wonderful 3D glory. And therein lies my problem. If you go to see a film in 3D, your mind is distracted by the objects seemingly whizzing past you and the shapes and the colours and the “oooohhhhhh.....”, That’s not what I want. I want to sit and watch my film. If it looks good, great! But it’s no substitute for character or plot. Seeing a film in 3D would also grow tiring. Like my experience inverted. At first, all I wanted to do was see it in 3D- Those people who WERE would be thinking about it also, but because it was right in front of them. It was a novelty. Later on, I didn’t care. I just wanted to watch the film. For those who had the means to watch in 3D, it must have got tiring to have an extra, unnecessary layer to the film they were watching.

In terms of the film itself, MVA is fine. Just fine. The monsters all bring a charm and humor to the piece. (The best arguably being Seth Rogen’s B.O.B. Or indeed, Insectosaurus, a 50-storey insect thing oddly reminiscent of “Horton Hears a Who!”’s Katie) and a strong voice cast featuring Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie and Rainn Wilson help it along. The actual humour involved is a little disappointing. It felt a little stale and easy. It was nothing we hadn’t seen before. Aside from a couple of moments, My amusement didn’t venture beyond the occasional chuckle. With some masked satire masquerading as an access point for parents, it’s clear to see why this film is doing as well as it is, and rest assured I like it. But a film called Monsters vs Aliens had so much potential to be something extraordinary, when all it really did was fall into line along with the rest of Dreamworks’ portfolio.

To summarise, it’s a fun-loving kid’s film. Definitely a better weekend family film than Dragonball Evolution. But, it’s Spring time. So be prepared to search around for a strong narrative and insight. Nevertheless, Monsters vs. Aliens, I say Aye!

Rating: ***
share on: facebook