When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. Alerted to the threat of this new monster, the military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of other monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, The President is persuaded by General W.R. Monger to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction.
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This looks decent. Dreamworks can't hold a candle to Pixar movie after movie, but every once in a while they put out something that's not Shrek. This seems to be one of the movies.
NoirFan
11-16-08, 09:48 PM
I think I'm suffering from Seth Rogan overload.
Tuan Jim
11-16-08, 10:00 PM
Looks pretty funny. Great premise.
McHawkson
11-16-08, 11:09 PM
Just saw trailer on Apple.com yesterday. I like the security scan part. :lol:
NiCK Crush
11-16-08, 11:16 PM
Rogen has really been dippin into the animation voice work thing huh? First Horton, then Panda, now this?
Zen Peckinpah
11-17-08, 12:41 AM
Rogen, Rudd, Colbert, Jack Bauer, Dwight Schrute, and Gob? I'm totally in. And DreamWorks has reinstalled faith after Kung Fu Panda, arguably their best animated venture since Antz.
Yes, I went there.
tanman
11-18-08, 12:28 AM
This looks AWESOME!
Two very funny lines in the trailer.
"Once again a UFO has landed in America. The ONLY country UFOs seem to land in."
"What do people scream when they run away from you? Ah..look out here comes..."
"Susan"
"Sooosan"
Looks very funny and very original.
I still don't like the way some people are drawn in some CG cartoons though. Susan looks strange to me. Something about her mouth movements. I think The Incredibles got CG people down pat.
Tuan Jim
11-18-08, 05:45 AM
Just saw trailer on Apple.com yesterday. I like the security scan part. :lol:
Frankly it was a great gag, until they unnecessarily went with the butt photocopy scan. That's a perfect, regular joke for something like Office Space, but it doesn't really seem appropriate for an animated feature - particularly in the trailer.
droidguy1119
11-18-08, 07:00 AM
For me, Rogen is the funniest in the trailer, but I might see it.
Giles
11-18-08, 09:33 AM
I know it's unfair to judge a movie based on the animation style alone, but to me, it's ugly looking.
sauce07
11-18-08, 11:08 AM
its looks fairly entertaining, i'll eventually catch it at home.
Giles
11-18-08, 11:22 AM
its looks fairly entertaining, i'll eventually catch it at home.
what? and miss it in 3D - oh come on...
Sonic
11-18-08, 03:47 PM
The trailer is hilarious and this movie looks to be a winner for Dreamworks. The animation is awesome, but characters are more awesome!
The Bus
11-18-08, 05:15 PM
I know it's unfair to judge a movie based on the animation style alone, but to me, it's ugly looking.
Reminds me of Antz. :shrug:
taa455
11-19-08, 12:56 AM
Saw the full trailer on the Kung Fu Panda dvd. This movie looks very promising. :up:
Suprmallet
11-19-08, 01:17 AM
I laughed. I'm looking forward to it.
NoirFan
12-07-08, 11:45 PM
Get ready to shell out an extra five bucks for the privilege of watching this and other Dreamworks 3-D films. From this (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996652.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564) Variety article: (3-D) "offers a premium experience and has the consumer paying a premium price," said (Jeffrey) Katzenberg, adding that he expects DreamWorks Animation to charge a $5 premium for 3-D on its releases, beginning with "Monsters vs. Aliens" in 2009.
I'm sure that's what people want to hear with a recession going on.
tanman
12-08-08, 01:28 AM
Get ready to shell out an extra five bucks for the privilege of watching this and other Dreamworks 3-D films. From this (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996652.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564) Variety article:
I'm sure that's what people want to hear with a recession going on.
$5 extra! Seriously what are they thinking? I remember not paying any extra to see Chicken Little and Nightmare before Christmas in 3D.
Seantn
12-08-08, 01:54 AM
I saw Nightmare Before Christmas 3D in 2007 and it was indeed a few dollars more than a regular movie ticket. I saw it at an AMC theater.
The Bus
12-08-08, 09:45 AM
I paid extra for Bolt and it honestly wasn't worth it. I may consider watching this in IMAX 3D (if such a thing exists), but right now, IMAX is worth the extra money and 3D is not.
Giles
12-08-08, 10:12 AM
I paid extra for "Bolt" and it honestly wasn't worth it. I may consider watching this in IMAX 3D (if such a thing exists), but right now, IMAX is worth the extra money and 3D is not.
it really wasn't worth it IMO either. For a first show of the day I payed 12 bucks at Cinema De Lux - I was a bit peeved to say the least. After 'Bolt', I went to see 'Madagascar 2' in IMAX Digital in Alexandria and they had a preview of 'Monsters vs. Aliens' - the image and colors (albeit not in 3D) were superior to the Bolt DLP screening.
NoirFan
03-24-09, 09:15 PM
I just came back from a screening. It was a fun, entertaining piece of fluff, chock full of genre in-jokes, with extremely detailed and nicely rendered animation.
mndtrp
03-25-09, 07:40 PM
I just came back from a screening. It was a fun, entertaining piece of fluff, chock full of genre in-jokes, with extremely detailed and nicely rendered animation.
How many pop culture jokes? Dreamworks has me nervous with every movie they put out.
droidguy1119
03-25-09, 09:19 PM
Can't wait to try and see it in IMAX 3D on Friday.
asianxcore
03-25-09, 10:18 PM
Looks fun. Might have to check it out.
NoirFan
03-25-09, 10:22 PM
How many pop culture jokes? Dreamworks has me nervous with every movie they put out.
There weren't very many of those. There was a brief, lame American Idol joke, but this was countered by a sly Inconvenient Truth quip. Don't worry, this isn't another Shrek, by any means. I was referring more to science fiction film references - there are mad scientist gags, E.T. and Close Encounters jokes, and an absolutely brilliant send-up of the "couple necking in a car stumble across the aliens" cliche. The voice work is excellent as well, in particular Keifer Sutherland. For sci-fi/animation fans, this will be a real treat.
Note: the spoiler tags above don't cover an actual plot spoiler, but the joke will be funnier if you're not expecting it.
Giles
03-25-09, 10:29 PM
did you see it in 3D Noir, you don't denote this in your 'What are You Watching this Week' thread.
NoirFan
03-25-09, 10:34 PM
did you see it in 3D Noir, you don't denote this in your 'What are You Watching this Week' thread.
No, unfortunately it was a 2-D press screening.
Giles
03-25-09, 10:37 PM
oh...
fumanstan
03-28-09, 01:45 PM
I plan on seeing this today. Is there a difference between IMAX 3D and the regular 3D?
mdc3000
03-28-09, 02:07 PM
^As far as the actual 3D goes? Not really - but IMAX will obviously be HUGE in comparison.
RyoHazuki
03-28-09, 05:07 PM
I saw it last night and was pretty underwhelmed. It felt like a Nickelodeon tv special or something. The animation was pretty, the humor was good (not great) but it just felt really light on everything else. The characters were paper thin and the story was as well. It was one of those movies that felt like a long version of the trailer.
Kal-El
03-28-09, 06:54 PM
Just came back from a "double feature" of this and HiC. We saw this in IMAX-3D and it is beautiful. Not as good as Kung-Fu Panda, but still funny. My wife and I laughed at several parts. There's some subtle adult humor that kids are gonna miss. I'm surprised they're marketing this as a Rogen/Rudd vehicle when Reese Witherspoon is the star of the show.
Loved the musical cue switch when they showed the "E.T. Go home" missile.
Easy Blu-Ray purchase when it comes out.
droidguy1119
03-28-09, 08:16 PM
I don't think they're really advertising the movie as a vehicle for anyone, just the thread title says Rogen/Rudd. Animated movies, even post-Shrek, are still generally advertised at kids, and kids don't care who do the voices.
I thought it was pretty mediocre. Looks stunning (a really eye-popping experience), good action/direction, a handful of funny jokes, and Reese Witherspoon makes for a cool action hero for girls to enjoy, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped it was gonna be.
And I felt really weird watching it in IMAX 3D, although I watched it on a half-assed, movie-theater IMAX screen that they have nearby. This is going to sound nutso, but I felt like my brain was trying to fly out of the top of my open head or something (whatever sensation it was inspiring in me, the sensation went upwards...it was really uncomfortable). Every once in awhile I just had to take the glasses off for a little while and rub my head. Next time, I'll either go the distance and see it on the real IMAX screen in Seattle, which is farther and more expensive, or I'll just see it in regular DLP 3D.
Favorite joke, such a throwaway:
Rainn Wilson angrily exclaiming, "Oh, spaceballs!"
asianxcore
03-28-09, 11:06 PM
I saw it last night and was pretty underwhelmed. It felt like a Nickelodeon tv special or something. The animation was pretty, the humor was good (not great) but it just felt really light on everything else. The characters were paper thin and the story was as well. It was one of those movies that felt like a long version of the trailer.
Agree with you there.
It was definitely enjoyable and the cast was solid but I just felt that movie was lacking something.
I did enjoy almost all of B.O.B's jokes though. Also Insectasaurus was pretty awesome :)
Patman
03-28-09, 11:43 PM
I thought it was okay, mainly aimed at kids, but parents/adults won't find much more beyond what's on the screen. The monsters grow on you, as I didn't take to them instantly, but as the movie wore on, their quirks and humor worked on a superficial level.
I did see the 3D version, and it was fine in 3D.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
Moleman1138
03-29-09, 12:01 AM
BOB and Insectosaurus stole the show. I honestly didn't like the 3D. It's too distracting. It felt too much like KF-Panda.
Outsider joins secluded group of 4-5
Po joins Monkey, Crane, Viper, Tiger, Mantis
Ginormica joins Insecto, Dr. Cockroach, Bob, Missing Link
fumanstan
03-29-09, 12:22 AM
Ended up going with the IMAX 3D showing for kicks. I really enjoyed it and i'm surprised so many people found it mediocre. First, I thought the 3D was pretty cool and far better then when I watched Coraline in 3D. I'm not sure if it was because of the IMAX screen or the effects were just done better, but during Coraline it made my head hurt like droidguy but I didn't have a problem with this one.
But anyway, I enjoyed the humor throughout the movie as I like the silly random stuff from the monsters. Not as drop dead funny as Kung Fu Panda, and not as touching as any Pixar movie, but still really good in my opinion. I didn't realize the whole movie was about Susan given the marketing of the film, but Reese did a great job. The parts with her family and Derek were kind of dumb, but the rest of the movie and voice acting really made up for it, especially Rogen as BOB and Will Arnett as the Missing Link. Colbert's President was kind of lame though.
Random things i loved -
BOB eating all the clones
The clones falling for the disguises.
Insectasaurus turning into a butterfly
NoirFan
03-29-09, 10:05 AM
A dumb joke, but I laughed:
Susan tells BOB "We've got to get these cars off of the bridge!", and BOB responds by lifting one of the cars in the air, preparing to throw it over the side.
droidguy1119
03-29-09, 01:10 PM
A dumb joke, but I laughed:
Susan tells BOB "We've got to get these cars off of the bridge!", and BOB responds by lifting one of the cars in the air, preparing to throw it over the side.I laughed at him proclaiming "Oh, I don't feel good" after eating a few of the concrete barriers.
mdc3000
03-29-09, 08:02 PM
I thought it was just alright. Great visuals, excellent cast and a good setup...but then it just turns into nothing but boring action sequences filled with cliched jokes that sort of limps to the finish. The characters aren't given enough to do - which is a damn shame with all the talent involved... we could have used a lot more Colbert, would have liked to see more of the Monsters interacting with people in the real world etc. but we keep getting to these flashy, 'whiz bang' action bits, that looked cool in 3D but did nothing for me otherwise.
My favourite part was easily when the president made first contact with the casio.
Draven
03-30-09, 12:34 PM
I enjoyed it (BOB steals the show) and my kids liked it as well, so it was a good outing there.
And I actually clapped my hands and guffawed when the alien gave them the security pass...said "do you want a gun?" and then BOB shot him. The "do you want a gun" was funny enough, then they took it one step further. I loved that part.
Loc Nar
03-30-09, 02:34 PM
Saw it yesterday. I agree with those who were underwhelmed. I did not find much funny about it and actually checked my watch once. Very few folks in the audience laughed at anything. My seven year old and his friend, however, enjoyed it. From my perspective, the monster inspirations were great and you could see that there were a lot of good ideas tossed around, but it never really gelled to me. Example - starting the movie off with a disability joke seemed odd.
SkipKassidy
03-30-09, 03:17 PM
This movie needed The Monster Squad to come in at the end and send the monsters into limbo. Then the audience would have been WTF?!
Giles
04-01-09, 09:56 AM
loved the little Red Dwarf mention at the beginning. I generally thought it was okay, not great. Technical comments, I saw this in IMAX (Digital) and I hardly noticed any surround sound (and I was sitting in the prime seat) - was the mix 'more' aggressive in standard theatres?
CertifiedTHX
04-01-09, 07:19 PM
Certainly an enjoyable flick, but average overall. Funniest element was Stephen Colbert's President-- his introduction was when things really picked up-- followed by The Missing Link. B.O.B. had his moments.
Good pop culture references--
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Beverly Hills Cop, E.T., An Inconvenient Truth, Spaceballs, even Spielberg's War of the Worlds
and a nicely done sequence highly reminiscent of
Independence Day
Scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 5, maybe a 6. Not bad, but not great.
--THX
hasslein
04-02-09, 10:23 PM
I thought it was full of tired jokes, and the action sequences in Bolt were much better.
Giles
04-02-09, 11:13 PM
^ nah, I don't agree.
troystiffler
04-03-09, 04:17 AM
It was alright. The kid (4yr old) got tired of the 3D glasses around half way through and I couldn't get her to put them back on. She said that they kept falling off her face. The fact that she sat there without her glasses on bothered me and probably took away from the movie. In the end, I don't think it really bothered her. But it bothered me that she wasn't wearing them.
Kung Fu Panda was really an amazing movie and has me spoiled. 'Monsters' is enjoyable. But it's not going to be one of the greats. I'd put it on par with Over the Hedge.
Giles
04-03-09, 10:33 PM
'Over the Hedge' though had an all together better voice casting/talent then 'MvA'
ChineseCheckers
09-16-09, 10:23 PM
saw this tonight...I liked it.
BOB was funny
and I found Susan to be strangely attractive
Buy: