Yesterday my family forced me to take a much-needed half-day off, and a part of my relaxation involved taking in a showing of Monster vs. Aliens. I must admit that when I saw the commercials for the film they looked promising but I had my doubts about the ability of the film to live up to my expectations. Thankfully I was wrong.

Monsters vs. Aliens is yet another fine contribution to the computer animated films created by DreamWorks. The storyline involves Susan Murphy, a woman in Modesto, California who has dreams of living a bigger life which she assumes will be realized through her fiance who is a local television personality with his sights on a job in Fresno. As fate would have it, as Susan waits outside the church on her wedding day a meteorite crashes down on her from space filling her body with Quantonium. The side effect of this space energy is a dramatic growth in size and an increase in strength, which is all well and good until the government seizes Susan and locks her up with other monsters as part of a secret military project. Susan and her fellow monsters fear they will never again find freedom until an alien force comes looking for the Quantonium and threatening the destruction of the Earth. In response America’s political and military leaders release the monsters and offer them a pardon if they can destroy the alien invaders.

This film is enjoyable on a number of levels. Science fiction fans will find this film of special interest with its numerous references to aspects of sci fi television and film. For example, in the film’s earliest moments as the incoming meteor is being tracked, it gives off a high energy signature which raises alarms resulting in the event falling under the special code “Nimoy.” And when the President of the United States attempts to make contact with the alien robot sent to retrieve the Quantonium he uses a synthesizer and begins his attempt at contact with the infamous five musical notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Beyond this the film includes a number of influences from science fiction films and monster movies, especially from the 1950s. This is especially evident in the monsters who exhibit influences from The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Fly, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla vs. Mothra, and The Blob.

Although those who are not fans of classic science fiction and monster movies may miss some of these connections they will not be disappointed. Monsters vs. Aliens also includes numerous pop culture references outside the genres of the fantastic that add to the comedic nature of this film.

I found an additional element of the film enjoyable, and that was the 3D aspect of my cinematic experience. I have not seen a 3D movie since the debacle of Jaws 3 3D. The technology has come a long way since then, and the 3D experience adds an extra dimension that compliments the great detail the animators put into the texturing of their characters. At present James Cameron is working on his new film Avatar in which he promises a revolutionary experience of 3D which he sees as the future of the film industry. Although we’ve heard that before in everything from 3D to other theater gimmicks, if Monsters vs. Aliens is any indicator of the potential of 3D movies then Avatar may be one to watch for a new industry standard.

All this being said, Monsters vs. Aliensis a great film. It does not rise to the heights of DreamWorks Shrek series, or Disney Pixar’s Wall*E, but nevertheless it is very well done. So if you you’d like an enjoyable film experience that will benefit the whole family, particularly animation, science fiction, and classic monster movie fans, then get to the theater, and don’t forget your 3D glasses.