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Monsters vs. Aliens  |
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Under the guise of full disclosure, somewhere around the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when the need for endlessly disposable commodity for television programming continued to grow, animation under its different forms was not just a niche for “children’s” fare. No, starting from the days of the newsreel and all night Saturday show, animation and cartoons in general were crafty royalty.
These cartoons were the kings of satire and irony. Laden with borderline double entendre, children could enjoy them with a slapstick laugh while the savviest of us could enjoy with a wink and a wry nod. For twenty years, television ran the gamut from The Simpsons to The Family Guy once again pushing the envelope of the Attention Deficit Disorder Generation with their mile a minute jabs at popular culture and humanity’s place in its bubble.
The DVD release of Monsters vs. Aliens is slick enough to have both its feet planted firmly in each of the aforementioned eras. Sure, with its optional 3D images, there’s enough “Wow” factor to keep the youngsters interested, but with its homage to the 1950’s sci-fi film abounding, it’s interesting on the adult level as well.
With voice talent such as Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogan, Reese Witherspoon, and Paul Rudd the chops are all in place. With the re-release of the original “Toy Story”, it is interesting to witness just how far computer generated animation has come. While Woody and Buzz are still the litmus test when it comes to tugging on the heart strings, they are mere stick figures compared to Monsters vs. Aliens expansive and visceral images.
Sure, there’s the prerequisite “lesson to be learned” for human kind but the notion comes off as well thought out rather than being preachy.
A sure fire winner, Monsters vs. Aliens earns a strong four out of five blobs.
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