Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American 3D computer-animated science fiction action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures.[1][2] Directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman from a screenplay by Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky, Letterman, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger, the film stars the voices of Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy / Ginormica, Seth Rogen as B.O.B., Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D., Will Arnett as The Missing Link, Kiefer Sutherland as General Monger, Rainn Wilson as the alien villain Gallaxhar, Paul Rudd as Derek Dietz, and Stephen Colbert as President Hathaway.[2][3] The plot centers on Susan Murphy, who is transformed into a 49-foot-11-inch giant after being struck by a meteorite on her wedding day, and is subsequently recruited by the U.S. government to join a team of other monsters—including a mad scientist, a prehistoric fish-man, a giant insect, and a indestructible blob—to combat an extraterrestrial threat led by the probe-wielding alien Gallaxhar.[1][2] Released on March 27, 2009, in RealD 3D, IMAX 3D, and traditional formats, Monsters vs. Aliens marked DreamWorks Animation's first fully stereoscopic 3D feature film, utilizing advanced rendering techniques that required approximately 45.6 million computing hours.[4][5] With a production budget of $175 million, the film grossed $381.5 million worldwide, including $198.4 million in North America, making it a commercial success and the third-highest-grossing animated film of 2009.[4][6] Critically, it received mixed reviews, earning a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 216 reviews, with praise for its visual effects and voice performances but criticism for its uneven humor and formulaic storytelling.[7] The film also spawned a short film, Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space, and a video game adaptation, expanding the franchise into television series and comics in subsequent years.[8]Story and characters
Plot
On the day of her wedding to local weatherman Derek Dietl in Modesto, California, Susan Murphy is struck by a meteorite containing the rare element Quantonium, causing her to rapidly grow to 49 feet 11 inches tall.[2] As panic ensues and her groom flees, U.S. government agents sedate and abduct the newly christened Ginormica, transporting her to a top-secret facility known as Area Fifty-Two, where she is imprisoned alongside other captured monsters from past decades.[9] There, she encounters the team: Dr. Cockroach, a brilliant scientist whose atomic experiment fused his head with a cockroach's, granting him enhanced intellect and durability; The Missing Link, a prehistoric amphibious creature revived from ice and longing for companionship; B.O.B., an indestructible, brainless gelatinous blob created from a chemical spill; and the massive, blind Insectosaurus, a 350-foot-tall mutated caterpillar controlled via high-frequency signals by Dr. Cockroach.[10] General Warren R. Monger, the facility's gruff overseer, explains their containment as a national security measure to prevent public hysteria.[11] When a massive, one-eyed alien robot probe deployed by the extraterrestrial villain Gallaxhar crashes into San Francisco and begins a destructive rampage, conventional military forces prove ineffective against its advanced weaponry.[2] Desperate, Monger convinces President Hathaway to release the monsters, promising them freedom in exchange for their assistance. The team, with Ginormica as the reluctant leader, is airlifted to the city, where they engage in a chaotic battle: B.O.B. absorbs the robot's blasts, The Missing Link grapples with its limbs, Dr. Cockroach reprograms its systems, and Insectosaurus crushes parts of its structure, while Ginormica ultimately rips out its core, destroying the probe.[9] Their success earns them celebrity status and liberty, but Susan grapples with personal rejection—Derek publicly dumps her on live television for being "too big"—finding solace and purpose in her bond with the monster team.[10] Gallaxhar, a squid-like alien from a destroyed homeworld obsessed with Quantonium's power, detects the element's presence on Earth via the probe's final transmission and arrives in his enormous spaceship to harvest it.[2] Targeting Ginormica as the source, he abducts her with a tractor beam, extracting the Quantonium from her body, which shrinks her to normal size and leaves her imprisoned aboard the vessel. Using the element, Gallaxhar clones himself into an army of identical warriors to conquer the planet.[9] The remaining monsters, stowing away on a military jet and entering the ship through its underbelly, launch a daring infiltration: Dr. Cockroach disables security, B.O.B. devours clones, The Missing Link provides brute force, and Insectosaurus battles the ship's defenses externally. They free Susan, who ingests a Quantonium sample to regain her giant form and confront a massive cloned Gallaxhar in the ship's core.[10] In the climactic showdown, Ginormica outmaneuvers the alien clone, forcing it to overload the ship's reactor, which triggers a self-destruct sequence. The team escapes in a detachable pod just as the spaceship explodes, obliterating Gallaxhar and his forces.[2] Back on Earth, Susan emerges as a confident hero, rejecting Derek's attempts to reconcile and embracing her role with the monsters, who now operate as government-sanctioned defenders. In the epilogue, Insectosaurus metamorphoses into a giant butterfly-like creature under the full moon, and the team is redeployed to combat a new threat: a colossal robotic snail rampaging toward Paris.[9]Voice cast
The voice cast of Monsters vs. Aliens assembled an ensemble of prominent actors, many transitioning from live-action roles to provide distinctive voices for the film's eclectic mix of monsters, military figures, and extraterrestrial antagonists, creating a dynamic auditory landscape for the 3D animated production. This casting approach leveraged comedic talents and dramatic performers to differentiate the ragtag team of government-captured creatures from the invading alien forces.[12][13]| Actor | Character | Role Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reese Witherspoon | Susan Murphy / Ginormica | A newlywed woman transformed into a 49-foot-11-inch giantess after exposure to quantonium, serving as the team's reluctant leader. |
| Seth Rogen | B.O.B. | A bubbly, indestructible blue blob created as a failed experiment, embodying chaotic enthusiasm. |
| Hugh Laurie | Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. | A brilliant scientist mutated into a half-human, half-cockroach hybrid, offering intellectual strategy. |
| Will Arnett | The Missing Link | A prehistoric fish-amphibian man revived from ice, providing brute strength and bravado. |
| Kiefer Sutherland | General W.R. Monger | A grizzled World War II-era military commander overseeing the secret monster program. |
| Rainn Wilson | Gallaxhar | A megalomaniacal alien overlord deploying robotic probes to harvest quantonium from Earth. |
| Stephen Colbert | President Hathaway | The inept U.S. President navigating the alien crisis with hapless decision-making. |
| Paul Rudd | Derek Dietl | Susan's self-absorbed weatherman fiancé, prioritizing his career over their relationship. |
| Renée Zellweger | Katie | A woman on an awkward first date with Cuthbert, providing comic relief at Susan's wedding. |