Friday, Mar. 27, 2009

'Monsters' in Modesto -- cinematically

Classic creatures from the 1950s get a high-tech makeover, with a healthy amount of attitude, in the 3-D animated "Monsters vs. Aliens."

The Blob, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Fly — they're are all here, led by The 50-Foot Woman, who's now 49 feet, 11 inches as voiced by the diminutive Reese Witherspoon.

Far from being menacing, they're optimistic misfits who just want to be loved and understood. Rather than destroying one another, they're loyal friends who've been trapped together as government test subjects, only to be unleashed on the world when an alien invasion requires their unique powers.

It's an enormously clever concept with a choice voice cast. Who else but Seth Rogen could play a lovable blue blob named B.O.B., who always has a smile on his gelatinous face? Will Arnett is hilariously cocky-but-clueless as the half-fish, half-ape Missing Link, and Hugh Laurie lends his rich voice to the British mad scientist Dr. Cockroach.

Just seeing the words "And Stephen Colbert as The President" during the opening titles is good for a laugh.

And the laughs keep coming steadily from there. Directors Rob Letterman ("Shark Tale") and Conrad Vernon ("Shrek 2") maintain a high energy throughout, although the explosive climax feels bombastic and repetitive. Far more effective is the way this motley crew comes together.

Witherspoon's Susan is a simple woman from Modesto — yes, that's right, good old Modesto — who's about to marry pompous Modesto TV weatherman Derek (Paul Rudd) — did we mention they live in Modesto? On their wedding day, a meteor hits Earth, exposing Susan to galactic gloop that turns her into a giant with a shock of white hair.

The military, led by Gen. W.R. Monger, scoops her up and sticks her in a holding cell along with B.O.B., Link, Dr. Cockroach and a goofy, 350-foot bug named Insectosaurus. They also rename her Ginormica.

An alien attack, led by the megalomaniacal Galaxhar (Rainn Wilson), forces the monsters into the streets of San Francisco. A showdown between Susan and Galaxhar's prime weapon, a clunky retro robot, is beautifully detailed as it causes the windows on downtown office buildings to rumble and shatter. Greater thrills come when the monsters fight the robot on the Golden Gate Bridge in a B-movie battle.

While bright and colorful, the three-dimensional effects in these situations never really inspire a sense of awe. Rather, they provide a tangible sense of depth but fall short of completely immersing you.