Monsters Vs Aliens Vs Megamind

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Susan (Reese Witherspoon) is a blushing bride-to-be until she’s struck down by a meteorite on her wedding day and mutates into a “monster” – a giant who’ll be called Ginormica. She’s transferred to a government “hotel,” the kind with bars on the windows, where she’ll be kept locked away along with other monsters like her – namely, BOB, a gelatinous type who eats\absorbs everything in his path (voiced by Seth Rogen); Doctor Cockroach, now an actual cockroach after unfortunate experimentation (voiced by Hugh Laurie); The Missing Link (Will Arnett); and Insectosaurus, who’s, yes, a giant bug.

Susan is adamant that she will get better and return home, to her “normal” life, but it seems like life has already moved on without her (I of course refer to her scuzzy, self-sMonsters-vs-alienserving prick of a fiance, Paul Rudd). So the monsters basically sit around playing cards until Doom arrives. Planet Earth is threatened by an evil alien by the name of Gallaxahr (Rainn Wilson), so the government reluctantly calls on the very monsters they’ve imprisoned to save them from certain death. This being a kids’ movie, you can be pretty sure that Good will triumph over Evil, and even better, Susan will start to feel empowered in Ginormica’s skin. It’s colourful and rapid-fire so kids will  be entertained. For adults, though this Dreamworks effort lacks the depth of better animated movies of late, it’s got some great satirical references and a stellar voice cast, including Stephen Colbert, John Krasinski, Ed Helms, Kiefer Sutherland, Julie White, Jeffrey Tambor, Amy Poehler, and Renee Zellweger, in addition to those already named.

If the monsters feel familiar to you, they are indeed inspired by classic monster movies: Ginormica and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman; BOB and The Blob; The Missing Link and Creature From The Black Lagoon; Dr. Cockroach and The Fly; Insectosaurus and… Godzilla? Mothra? The T-rex from Jurassic Park? Some delicious hybrid, is my guess.

Megamind is another Dreamworks animated film with its own references, this time to Superman. The whole movie seems predicated on the question: what would happen if Lex Luthor defeated Superman? Not stepping on any toes, the hero in question is here called Metro Man (voiced by Brad Pitt), and he’s been keeping Metro City safe from inept villain 960MegaMind (Will Ferrell) since they were kids. With an undeniably familiar origin story and a beautiful ace reporter on the scene (Roxanne Richie, voiced by Tina Fey) and a bumbling camera guy (Jonah Hill), you’ll find a whole new appreciate for Superman and his plight.

On a day when the entirety of Metro City is gathered in adulation of Metro Man, Megamind is finally (surprisingly) victorious. Metro Man is dead. The city belongs to Megamind! Everything goes to hell – Metro City is in ruins, but so is, curiously, Megamind’s mental health. Why? Because a villain isn’t a villain without a hero as his counterpoint. In his infinite wisdom, Megamind thus decides to take awkward camera guy and turn him into Metro City’s new superhero, Tighten.

There is no new ground tread in this film, and it’s not as funny as the excellent voice cast will have you believe – Ben Stiller, David Cross, Justin Theroux, and JK Simmons included. Benignly diverting is the best I can say about it – supposedly Guillermo del Toro lent a hand in editing to make it more exciting, and it is that, but for most, I think it will end up being a little forgettable.

 

9 thoughts on “Monsters Vs Aliens Vs Megamind”

  4. reocochran

    I will end up seeing this and find some reason to be amused. I am easily entertained but so far, liked the Trolls a few months ago and the more recent, Smurfs: The lost valley. . . I didn’t mind Boss Baby as much as you did, Jay. So, there is my succinct summary without having seen this: YET!
    hugs to you and the others who do so valiantly in keeping up with the films. . . ❤ Robin

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  6. Christopher

    I liked Monsters better than Megamind, mostly because it captured that slightly subversive message that the creatures from the original movies–the Fly, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the 50-foot woman, anyway, were basically sympathetic. Although the best part was President Stephen Colbert. My godson saw it in the theater and went around saying “Commander, do something violent!” for weeks.

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  7. Liz A.

    That first one… The niece and nephews had it on one day while I was there. I think. We didn’t really watch it, and I only heard some parts of it… Forgettable, really.

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  9. mtswriting

    I so disagree with your opinion on Megamind. That movie caught my attention and I watched it many times. Why? First, I appreciate humor. Also, the roles are not so simple black-and-white when you think about it a bit deeper. I mean, the “bad” guy did not start as bad at all, rather was pushed to such role by circumstances. And by the “good” guy and his need for constant showing off. The film also teaches good lesson about how life should not be affected by the origins but rather by the character. I mean, Megamind was raised in prison (for criminally gifted – that sign makes me giggle every time) while Metro Man had life of luxury. So it seems like their life should be set from the beginning. But it’s not only Megamind who undergoes a change, it’s both of them really. Both of them are finally able to mature enough to see deeper than the “roles” they used to play for years. I like that movie for these characters which are more complex underneath than it first seems.

    Also, it’s Titan – Tighten is a result of Hal’s poor skills at spelling.

    Seriously I think Megamind is highly underrated movie and often overlooked, while it has some really quality stuff to offer.

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