Monsters vs. Aliens: Here Come the 3-D Creatures!

By Jason Hom
Staff Writer

Many generations ago, when one of the first movies was shown in one of the first movie theaters, one breathtaking scene featured a head-on shot of a distant train steadily approaching the camera. As legend has it, a few patrons who did not fully comprehend the new-fangled movie technology bolted from their seats, screaming in terror as they fled from what they perceived to be an actual train about to steamroll them. It’s not clear whether they later returned to the theater or were refunded for their overabundance of caution.

Needless to say, today’s generation of movie-goers is slightly more tech-saavy; during a recent screening of Monsters vs. Aliens on opening day, the movie was shown in 3-D (the kind you need special glasses to view), and despite the occasional sensation that asteroids and other objects were heading toward the audience, no one frantically upended their overpriced popcorn and Jujubees to flee for the exit.

Indeed, this was intended to be a movie that heralds the entrance of big-budget, fully 3-D films into the mainstream movie arena. Briefly, the movie is about a group of lovable monsters – more specifically, a would-be bride transformed by radiation into a gigantic woman, a dim-witted but irrepressibly cheerful blob, a mad scientist who accidentally transformed himself into a cockroach (and is now a genius cockroach), the infamous “missing link” and a huge insect. The monsters take on an alien invasion bent on taking over Earth. You can guess who wins (hint: kids and their parents wouldn’t be too happy watching a movie about how extraterrestrials successfully exploit our resources and enslave us).

So how does the movie fare? Not surprisingly, the audience when we were there consisted primarily of parents with young children. The movie seems well-suited to kids. There is plenty of physical humor to keep the kids entertained – for example, the blob occasionally pops his lone eyeball in and out, and the giant insect wields his similarly giant sneeze for the forces of good. Furthermore, the villain is never menacing enough to unduly frighten the wee ones.

Is the movie still good for adults as well? Granted, the plot was somewhat formulaic and predictable, and as animated superhero movies go, The Incredibles offered more breathtaking action sequences. However, overall, I think the movie was also quite good in terms of entertainment value for the older crowd.

Several factors kept the movie fun and funny to watch. First, the painstakingly crafted visual imagery was remarkable, particularly in 3-D (the movie included an exciting chase through our very own, very accurately rendered San Francisco, replete with details to the level of Muni signs). Secondly, the jokes were fresh and appealing (although they were, as my wife put it, often curiously random). Third, the movie had a nice message regarding self-empowerment and self-worth. Fourth, if you happen to have any fondness for the often overlooked towns of Modesto or Fresno (visiting rotations, perhaps?), you have special incentive to see this movie, which is one of the rare (only?) movies to simultaneously pay homage to both of these towns.

If you plan on seeing the movie, please keep in mind that it comes in three flavors – regular, 3-D and IMAX 3-D. Predictably, you’ll have to pay more for the IMAX 3-D and 3-D versions, but it’s worth doing one of the 3-D versions to get the full experience.

Jason Hom is a fourth-year medical student currently taking time off to do research.