Rated PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language.
Directed by Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) and Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2)
Starring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert and Paul Rudd
Another hit Dreamworks Animation!
When a meteorite from outer space hits a young Californian woman named Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) on her wedding day…things go bad quick. It turns her into a giant monster, her family and friends run away screaming and her fiancé (Paul Rudd) leaves her standing …well on the altar. She is taken to a secret government compound, given the name Ginormica and is imprisoned with a ragtag group of monsters headed by Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie); the macho half-ape, half-fish Missing Link (Will Arnett); the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B. (Seth Rogen); and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. As a last resort, the President (Stephen Colbert) gives the desperate order to General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland), to use the motley crew of monsters to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!
Once again Dreamworks has made an animated feature that appeals to all generations. This time one of keys to their success is spoofing some classic horror/scifi B-movies. Susan Murphy is clearly inspired by the classic B-movie, Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman, while Dr. Cockroach is The Fly; The Missing Link is The Creature From The Black Lagoon; B.O.B is The Blob and Insectorsaurus looks like something out of a Godzilla film. The only difference…these monsters are hilarious.
As far as the voice casting goes…you really can’t do much better. Each one brings something special to the table and there are plenty of memorable lines to go around. In fact there were more than a handful of laugh-out-loud moments.
But there is more to Aliens vs. Monsters than funny lines, brilliant colors, great action and lovable characters…there are some fantastic lessons. Everything from judging someone’s appearance to the importance of friendship is covered. This is a must-see…especially in 3-D.
My family and I give it a “Theater Worthy”!
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
If you are comfortable with the content of films like Shrek, then this will be no problem. It's tame compared to most films today, but does have a few “crude” moments that you hope your kids won't continue to joke about.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
