Monsters vs. Aliens

Directors: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Keifer Sutherland, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Paul Rudd, Julie White, Jeffrey Tambor

Unfortunately, pleasant surprises at the movies are few and far between. Generally, I end up surprised that I've been duped into watching something horrible either by the advertising or the talent involved. However, every once in a while, I walk out of a film I fully expected to disappoint feeling like it was the perfect drug for what was ailing me. It happened two Thanksgivings ago, when I wen to see Enchanted, and it happened again today when I saw Monsters vs. Aliens.

The characters in Monsters vs. Aliens are an amalgamation of 1950's sci-fi B-movie stock characters, but they are utilized in such a way as to maximize the comedy without completely parodying the genre. It's a simple story, which is pretty mych laid out in the title, but unlike 2006's Snakes on a Plane, the writers actually took the time to think past the cleverly direct title and add a story worth watching, if slightly overly familiar in places.

The voice talent was impressive for a film that relied on famous names. Paul Rudd (Derek) sounds so much like Conan O'Brien in scenes, I was convinced that it was the new Tonight Show host in the part. Keifer Sutherland is equally delightful as a general with a name so awesome it would be criminal for me to reveal it here. Earning the largest laughs were Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach and Seth Rogen as B.O.B. In fact, Rogen's character is one of those lovable dolts that you want to take home once the film is over.

The biggest and best vocal surprise, however, was nerd-extraordinaire Rainn Wilson as the villain. While Wilson usually annoys me when he tries to be the funniest thing in a movie (see: Juno), I find that I appreciate him in smaller, less visual roles, such as the ones he played in Galaxy Quest and Almost Famous. In this film, he is the perfect fit, both for the part portrayed, and for the collection of talent.

The animation is beautiful and detailed; I especially liked Susan/Ginormica's suit later in the film and the multi-dimensionality of B.O.B., and, lest I forget, Insectosaurus is the most unlikely adorable cinematic insect since the cockroach in Wall-E. This film was made for the 3-D format. I did not see a screening utilizing that technology, but I could see where it would work best in the film. Thankfully, unlike next week's Battle for Terra, it does not look like they decided to make a 3-D movie and forgot to build a plot around the WOW moments.

I would strongly recommend this film for children over 6 and anyone who appreciates animation and sci-fi B-movies. While Monsters vs. Aliens is not the best or most original animated film that I've seen, it did make me laugh out loud and put a smile on my face that has lasted all day.