Dreamworks have always been in Pixar's shadows when it comes to their animated movies. Pixar films tend to make more money, win more awards, and get more favorable reviews then Dreamworks animated films do. That said I have to admit that I've never compared the two before. Mainly because they both go for different audiences. Pixar may be in a different (and higher) league then Dreamworks, but Dreamworks films tend to have more bite and wit to them. This is especially evident in "Monsters vs. Aliens," a clever tribute to the B monster and sci-fi flicks of the fifties. Even the soundtrack sounds fittingly retro. The story takes place in a retro looking and feeling modern day world, where humans don't know that monsters exist and the government is perfectly content with that. 
But when aliens attack Earth and the government can't fight back without the use of nuclear weapons, the president (Stephen Colbert) has an offer for the monsters: Defeat the aliens and you get your freedom. Most of the monsters find this to be a good deal, but none more then Ginormica (Reese Witherspoon), a 49' 11 ½ woman who is new to the facility. Her real name is Susan, and she was supposed to get married before a meteor fell on her and turned her into a monster. She's fairly new to the facility though, and wants nothing more then her old life back. The movie focuses on her and the fact that she isn't a very strong willed person, and tends to be a bit of a scared wuss. A near death experience with an alien mother ship should provide her with high moral lesson for young girls though.
While her storyline may be the meat of the story the heart is to be found in her monster companions. These include Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a PhD doctor who loves to remind us that he's not a quack but a mad scientist. There's The Missing Link (Will Arnet) who is a bit out of shape. Then we have B.O.B. (Seth Rogan), a blue goo thing that has no brain (he has the best lines). These characters are not really characters you relate to but who you like none-the-less. Most of the movie takes place in epic action sequences, made all the more fun by the Tru3D format. Apparently all Dreamworks animated films from this point on will be in this 3D format, and I don't object to this much.
The effect is a bit gimmicky, but it does provide the movie with an extra sense of fun it otherwise might not have had. Even without the 3D though the action sequences are fast paced and exciting. So much so that the movie actually disappointed me when it slowed down to bother with the story at all. I'm not an action over words kind of guy, but when the words are clearly lackluster and the action exhilarating I'm all for the latter being used more then the former. As it stands though, the movie overshoots a little. It's clear the directors had more interest in the fun aspects then the serious aspects, which makes the story parts of the movie all the more boring to sit through.
It makes the movie have an identity crisis it shouldn't have, which makes it all the more frustrating. But don't let me make it sound like the movie dropped the ball because it didn't; rather it just missed the mark by that much. The movie is fun at the end of the day, and this is a safe recommendation for it's high action. If there is a sequel though hopefully they can iron out the bugs with the script.
Grade: *** stars
