A woman transformed into a giant after she is struck by a meteorite on her wedding day becomes part of a team of monsters sent in by the U.S. government to defeat an alien mastermind trying to take over Earth.
When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California woman named Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland), on a desperate order from President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert), the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction.Written by
Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
With an opening weekend earning of $59,300,000 and a domestic gross of $198 million, this is the eleventh-highest grossing "alien invasion" movie. See more »
Goofs
Throughout the self-destruct sequence, Computer announces time remaining as "[Explosion] in T minus [x] minutes". This is modeled on how NASA do their countdowns, but it is wrong. NASA do their countdowns as follows: "We are now at T minus [x] minutes", where T is the time for launch. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Technician Ben:
Hey, Jerry, you might wanna check this one out. Palomar just picked it up. Looks like some type of UFO, and it's heading this way.
Technician Jerry:
How many times do I have to tell you this? UFOs don't exist. And we're never gonna see...
[sees computer, heads to monitors]
Technician Ben:
Wow, it's energy signature is massive.
Technician Jerry:
[panicking]
Holy Cheez-its! What do we do? No one ever told us what to do! The only reason I took the job is 'cause you never have to do anything!
Technician Ben:
Jerry, stop it! We calculate its impact point. ...
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
A flying saucer floats over the "D" in the Dreamworks logo and abducts the boy sitting in it with a tractor beam. The saucer is from the movie "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers." See more »
Alternate Versions
The film has a localized version in Australia where the News Reporter is not voiced by Ed Helms but instead by David Koch, a co-presenter of the morning show Sunrise seen on Channel 7 Australia-wide. See more »
When You See Those Flying Saucers
Written by Cy Coben and Charlie Grean
Performed by The Buchanan Brothers
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment See more »
The President of the United States (Stephen Colbert): "Boys, set the terror level at code brown, 'cause I need to change my pants."
Monsters vs. Aliens is my first 3-D movienot really, but it is the first time I have felt the process worked within a film as an integral part of the artistic process. It supports the science fiction, titillates at times, but most of all gives the illusion of reality. DreamWorks can be proud of this addition to the pantheon of excellent contemporary animations (dominated by Pixar) that use its Shrek as a touchstone for memorable characters wedded to mature themes and superior techniques.
Monsters vs. Aliens is also a family film in the truest sense: Elders to tots can enjoy the visual delights of 3-D outer space and observe a young bride-to-be Susan Murphy (voice of Reese Witherspoon) grow by a radiation accident into the heroic role of Ginormica, a woman literally too big for her britches. She must assert her independence from a self-centered fiancé and convince family, friends, and the world that an out-sized woman (read overachieving feminist) has a place in the male world, a superior place at that.
A strength of this sweet film is its use of ironic, sometimes sardonic, language to satirize just about everyone, from the president (see the opening quotation, not great humor but entertaining) to the makers of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, whose feel good '70's glow is ripe for 21st-century cynicism, to memories of such chestnuts as The Blob and The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
The hip,loving mood of the film is exemplified by the alien's proclamation at invasion time, "Humans of Earth, my quest has led me to your planet. Give it to me now! You should, in no way, take any of this personally. It's just business."
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The President of the United States (Stephen Colbert): "Boys, set the terror level at code brown, 'cause I need to change my pants."
Monsters vs. Aliens is my first 3-D movienot really, but it is the first time I have felt the process worked within a film as an integral part of the artistic process. It supports the science fiction, titillates at times, but most of all gives the illusion of reality. DreamWorks can be proud of this addition to the pantheon of excellent contemporary animations (dominated by Pixar) that use its Shrek as a touchstone for memorable characters wedded to mature themes and superior techniques.
Monsters vs. Aliens is also a family film in the truest sense: Elders to tots can enjoy the visual delights of 3-D outer space and observe a young bride-to-be Susan Murphy (voice of Reese Witherspoon) grow by a radiation accident into the heroic role of Ginormica, a woman literally too big for her britches. She must assert her independence from a self-centered fiancé and convince family, friends, and the world that an out-sized woman (read overachieving feminist) has a place in the male world, a superior place at that.
A strength of this sweet film is its use of ironic, sometimes sardonic, language to satirize just about everyone, from the president (see the opening quotation, not great humor but entertaining) to the makers of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, whose feel good '70's glow is ripe for 21st-century cynicism, to memories of such chestnuts as The Blob and The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
The hip,loving mood of the film is exemplified by the alien's proclamation at invasion time, "Humans of Earth, my quest has led me to your planet. Give it to me now! You should, in no way, take any of this personally. It's just business."