Monsters vs. Aliens

Pixar Studios has been leading the animated films industry ever since they developed Toy Story in 1995, and continued to uphold their prominence by producing films like Monsters, Inc (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007) and WALL-E (2008) that have transcended age and cultural barriers. This fame has led to many challenges from other studios, most recently is Dreamworks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens. This latest project is the brainchild of Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman, two individuals who had helped develop Shrek, Shrek 2 and Shark Tale in the past for Dreamworks Animations.

Monsters vs. Aliens is an animated comedy rendered with 3D effects that depicts an impending battle between a secret government agency’s monster squad and a fleet of alien forces. The visual detail of the film is remarkable; every inch of every character is carefully constructed with details present in everyday people, in one particular scene the General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sunderland) is facing away from the camera, allowing the audience to see the very detailed and precise fading hairline that looks almost real.

Aside from the vivid graphic, Dreamworks animators has taken a lesson from Pixar by incorporating easter eggs into the film; easter eggs in animated movies are usually hidden messages or images within the movie that alludes to a previous movie the company has produced. In several scenes of Monsters vs. Aliens, General W.R. Monger can be seen wearing a medal that looks like Shrek.

Despite the intricate details of this movie, it is a third-rate movie because it relies too heavily on the 3D visual effects and its celebrity cast rather than a well-structured plot. In addition the characters are poorly developed. Monsters vs. Aliens will certainly entertain younger audiences but older viewers will be extremely disappointed.