Monsters vs. Aliens

Letterman, Rob and Conrad Vernon, directors. Monsters vs. Aliens. Dreamworks Pictures, 2008.

Plot Summary: After being hit by a meteor the day of her wedding, Susan's molecular structure explodes and she grows into an enormous woman. The government gets a hold on her and sends her to a secret prison where she meets other fugitive monsters B.O.B., The Missing Link, Dr. Cockroach and Insectosaurus. While Susan comes to terms with her size and being away from her family and fiance, she finds friendship in the other outcasts. The city of San Francisco needs the monsters help, however, when Gallaxhar sends a robot, and eventually comes himself to get the substance that transformed Susan. It is up to the monsters to save the world and for the world to respect the monsters.

Critical Evaluation: Monsters vs. Aliens was hilarious. I laughed from beginning to end. There was just enough "adult" humor throughout for this to be enjoyed by parents and kids together. There was so much going on throughout the movie, so many characters to follow, it seems like a better fit for older kids, like tweens. There were no sing-a-longs, which is rare in many cartoons and will appeal to the tween age-group. A cartoon, but not a baby cartoon.

Reader's Annotation: Shut away from the easily frightened populace, a group of monsters are called out of hiding to save the world from alien invasion.

Author Bio: The voices behind Monsters vs. Aliens come from an all-star cast. Reese Witherspoon is the voice of Susan, and has been in many starring roles including Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, and Vanity Fair. Hugh Laurie may be most popular in the states for his role on TV as House, MD and as Stuart Little's dad, but Laurie has been big in the British comedy scene since Blackadder and his many projects with Stephen Fry. Will Arnett may be most recognized for his roles in Arrested Development and Blades of Glory, but has also lent his voice for Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ratatouille, Horton Hears a Who, G-Force and the upcoming Despicable Me. Seth Rogen got his start as a laid back freak in the show Freaks and Geeks and has teamed up with the Judd Apatow team several times since. He's also been a voice in quite a few animated/semi-animated features including Shrek the Third, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Horton Hears a Who!, Kung Fu Panda and an upcoming Kung Fu Panda sequel. Other notable voices include Keifer Sutherland, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert, Rainn Wilson, and Amy Poehler.

Genre: Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties: Great for a half day movie day.

Booktalking Ideas: Talk about what super powers they would want if they were hit by a meteor. Then talk about Susan's growth spurt and the isolation she feels, and then her mind opening friendship with the other monsters.

Reading Level/Interest Age: Ages 8 and up

Challenges: Some parents may have issues with some of the adult humor, however it isn't significant enough to be a major problem.

Reason for including: My niece and nephew were watching it one day after it came out on DVD. My nephew, age four, said he didn't like it and it was boring. My niece (9) was enjoying it. So, I thought, "Yay! A cartoon for older kids!"