In the seminal case of Monsters vs. Aliens, an enormous woman battles googly-eyed antagonists from outer space. Reese Witherspoon voices Susan, a jilted bride struck by a meteorite that makes her freakishly large (either that, or she suffers from a severe pituitary imbalance). Our heroine is aided by a crew of misfits evidently stolen from the reject bucket of Monsters, Inc: Bob (Rogen), a gelatinous blob, Dr. Cockroach (Laurie), whose unimaginative name betrays his description, and The Missing Link, a man-fish amalgam. In typical DreamWorks style, this movie bombards you with super-saturated visual imagery for a solid 94 minutes. It’s like being assaulted by a hyperactive rainbow.
Maybe that fate wouldn’t be so bad if the plot weren't razor-thin. Unfortunately, every recent DreamWorks animation venture seems to suffer from the same affliction: a plethora of famous voices but absolutely no compelling character development. Aside from Stephen Colbert’s genuinely funny turn as the President, Monsters lacks the witty pop culture references that we’ve come to expect from similar films like Shrek. While it’s marginally fun to play guess-the-celebrity every time a new character speaks, the movie itself is cotton candy for your brain — light, sticky and unsubstantial. If you’re into such frivolity, at least treat yourself to a 3D showing; the relentless action sequences will probably feel like a rollercoaster ride. As a 2D experience, however, Monsters vs. Aliens just falls flat.
