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.

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I Love You, Man Review

When NBC’s hit television show Friends was scheduled for its tenth and final season, people predicted which of the six original Friends cast members would excel after the show, surprisingly the only “friend” to slowly rise was Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd). Paul Rudd has been starring in films like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Role Models, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the upcoming I Love You, Man directed by John Hamburg; who has also worked on screenplays for Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers, Zoolander and Along Came Polly.

I Love You, Man is a hilarious romantic comedy with a unique plot unlike any other movie; the main character Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) goes on a quest to find not the perfect girl but a best man for his upcoming wedding.

Kalven decides to go on this friend-quest after he overhears a conversation between his fiancé, Zooey (Rashida Jones) and her bridesmaids about his lack of male friends and the possibility that his mom is his best friend. Embarrassed at the prospect of not having any groomsmen, Peter gets his charismatic gay brother Robby to help.


Right off the bat Robby tells his brother not to arrange any dinner meets because it will send the wrong message. Peter is, of course persuaded to dismiss the advice later on by his mother, who mistakenly sets him up with her friend’s gay son, Doug (Thomas Lennon). The dinner scene is an ode to Shakespeare as it utilizes mistaken identities to perpetuate comical situations; Peter thinks he’s finally found a new friend while Doug believes he has found a boyfriend, it is not until Doug repeatedly kisses Peter in the parking lot during a farewell does Peter realize the situation he is in.

After several unsuccessful “man-dates” Peter meets Sidney Fife (Jason Sigel), an investor at an open house he was showcasing, and decides to offer his realty services to Sidney as a means to befriend him. Despite Peter’s entrepreneurial instincts the two do not talk about business, they simply hang out for several hours getting drunk and hang out again the next day.

The two continue to hangout with each other everyday and Peter is slowly transformed from an unassertive nice guy to an independent individual capable of expressing himself. The reason for this seemingly savvy character helping Peter out is that Sidney himself has problems. Sidney’s hedonist lifestyle has held him back as his friends pursue careers and start families.

Much of the film’s enticing comedy is in its flawless portrayal of the awkward and silly moments in everyday life. The actors in I Love You, Man interact harmoniously, allowing each scene to seamlessly build to the next. A delightful surprise was the movie’s subtle use of humanizing quirks that just brings the characters to life.

In addition there are numerous supporting characters like Jaime Pressly, Jon Faveru, Andy Samberg, Rob Huebel and several others who have their share of excellent scenes. The movie does not rely highly on any single character to carry the film but cohesive interaction between all actors to produce an ingenious film.

The only negative aspect is the movie tried to end in a happily ever after tone for all characters. For the most part it was successful; but Sidney revealing himself as this highly successful investor was unnecessary and inconsistent with his previous image. If the movie trailer fails to entice you to watch I Love You, Man then your friends who watch the movie will surely convince you otherwise. This is one movie that should not be missed.

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