Monsters Vs Aliens 3D *****
Monsters Vs Aliens 2D ****½
Following the release of Disney’s Bolt in Digital 3D in February, the 3D revolution continues with DreamWorks Animation’s latest feature Monsters Vs Aliens, a film which takes the revolutionary technology to a whole new level. Whereas with many 3D films the 3D is added as an afterthought, DreamWorks’ latest has been made from scratch as a 3D film (although there is, of course, also a 2D version doing the rounds in cinemas) and, as such, it looks set to utilize the technology to its fullest potential, something which some other recent 3D movies have failed to do. Monsters Vs Aliens doesn’t just appear revolutionary for the world of 3D cinema, however, but also for DreamWorks Animation itself. DreamWorks has had a very mixed track record in the past, consistently delivering well animated and entertaining films but never really delivering anything that pushes the envelope or raises the bar in any way, and the studio has constantly found itself in the shadow of rival animation studio Pixar, which has repeatedly outdone DreamWorks’ output. Marketing for Monsters Vs Aliens, however, has suggested that this may well be the DreamWorks release that pushes the envelope, at least as far as the 3D is concerned, and also the one that finally rivals the work of Pixar.
Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) is an everyday girl who is about to get married to the man of her dreams. However, her dream wedding turns into a nightmare when she is hit by a meteorite from outer space that causes her to grow to an enormous size. Suddenly, everyone is afraid of her and she finds herself whisked away by the government to a top secret installation where General W.R. Monger (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) has been keeping monsters locked up for years. She is befriended by other monsters who are being imprisoned there, including Dr. Cockroach (voiced by Hugh Laurie), a mad scientist who accidentally transformed himself into a roach-human hybrid, B.O.B. (voiced by Seth Rogen), a gelatinous, brainless mass brought to life in an experiment gone wrong, The Missing Link (voiced by Will Arnett), a Creature-from-the-Black-Lagoon-like lizard man, and the skyscraper-sized mutant larvae Insectosaurus. When a giant alien robot sent by the evil Gallaxhar (voiced by Rainn Wilson) lands in America and starts attacking, US President Hathaway (voiced by Stephen Colbert) reluctantly goes along with a plan by General Monger to have the monsters take on the alien threat, and thus the monsters who have always been feared by the people of the world become mankind’s only hope to save the world from imminent destruction.
Many films that utilize 3D technology tend to do so more as a gimmick to entice people to see the film, rather than it serving an integral role in the film. This is not the case with Monsters Vs Aliens. In this film the 3D serves a much greater role, being an important part of the artistic process and an element that greatly enhances the enjoyment of the film. It supports the fantasy of the film and makes all the action sequences seem far more exciting and immersive and most importantly of all it creates the illusion of reality, making it seem almost as if you are watching the events happening for real right in front of your eyes rather than just watching a film, which is after all just a two dimensional rendering of events. And, of course, things come flying – literally – out of the screen (and go back in – quite a neat visual trick), just to make the experience that much more engaging. This film showcases the best 3D ever seen on the cinema screen and it is worth seeing for this alone. However, the film also excels in a number of other areas as well. While the animation design still takes the more cartoony style of past DreamWorks films rather than a more photo-realist route, it easily stands out from their past movies, being much more visually striking and far more realistic. The action sequences in particular are extremely well animated and show that DreamWorks really are capable or producing truly eye-popping visuals. Of course, the visuals are greatly enhanced by the 3D but even if you only see the 2D version this is still some DreamWorks’ best work yet. The film also delivers in other areas, with a very impressive vocal cast being assembled and all really capturing the essence of a range of likeable and amusing characters, and a well written script that packs in some great homage to classic monster and alien B-movies and a few smart pop culture gags and topical references (although not to the extent of most of the studio’s other films or so much that it has a negative impact on the quality of the film). The only gripe with the storyline is that it is still lacking in the kind of substance that makes the works of Pixar stand out and that makes their films so appealing to mature viewers as well as younger ones. However, this is made up for by lots of genuinely funny humour, some smart and witty, and some less sophisticated, but that never descends into the depths of the crude or puerile. The homages to classic 50s monster and alien movies are particular highlights, being extremely funny but remaining extremely respectful of their inspirations. Overall, Monsters Vs Aliens emerges as DreamWorks Animation’s best movie yet, a film that will kids should love and those with fond memories of classic 50s B-movies should also get a major kick out of. It is also a major step forward for 3D technology, providing a truly unique experience that you won’t get at home, and that will truly blow your mind. So, is this the DreamWorks film to finally rival Pixar? Not quite, but it is the closest they have ever been and a film of which they can be truly proud.
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The Boat That Rocked ****
If I were to write a list of great Britons alive today one person that would appear pretty high up would undoubtedly be Richard Curtis. The creative mind behind great British TV sitcoms such as The Vicar of Dibley, the producer of hit romcoms like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill and the director of the hugely successful Love, Actually (to name just a few projects on his vast list of credits that covers writing, directing, producing and more), Curtis has made a contribution to British culture the likes of which few others can stake claim to, and his second directorial effort The Boat That Rocked promises to be yet another excellent addition to an already impressive resumé.
It’s 1966 Britain and it is a golden age for rock and roll and pop music but the officially sanctioned radio stations only play 45 minutes of pop music a day, instead preferring to play classical music. In order to cater for the huge demand for pop music, pirate radio has arisen, with Radio Rock playing the music that the people want to hear 24 hours a day, much to the annoyance of the government who just want them shut down. Radio Rock is based on a boat in the North Sea and there life is just one big party all the time. Started by Quentin (Bill Nighy), the boat is home to an eclectic crew of DJs – The Count (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a big, brash, American god of the airwaves, Gavin (Rhys Ifans), the greatest DJ in Britain who has just returned from his drug tour of America to reclaim his rightful position, Dave (Nick Frost), an ironic, intelligent and cruelly funny ladies man, Angus (Rhys Darby), the funny man of the bunch, and many more. Also, on board is Carl (Tom Sturridge), the godson of Quentin who has made a home amongst the members of Radio Rock. While they all party it up on the boat, however, government minister Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) and his assistant Twatt (Jack Davenport) are desperately seeking the means to shut Radio Rock down once and for all.
Finding its inspiration in the real life pirate radio stations of 1960s Britain, The Boat That Rocked is a film that is about as quintessentially British as you can possibly get, and one that has a lot to offer in terms of nostalgia value. Certainly anyone who was fortunate enough to hear the real pirate radio stations will have a great time going on a nostalgia trip with this film. Despite the fact that the subject matter is approached in an extremely light hearted manner and that the film firmly takes the route of a feel-good movie as opposed to going in a more serious, dramatic direction, there is a strong sense of realism in the way in which 1960s Britain is portrayed. The look and feel is extremely convincing, with both costume and set design seeming entirely authentic and the soundtrack is pure 1960s rock and pop. The music works extremely well due to the fact that the film is actually about the music, rather than the music just being there for soundtrack purposes. In a recent interview Richard Curtis himself actually said that he set out to make a film about pop music from start to finish and with this film he has accomplished this goal with flying colours. He has crafted a film that is just simple, feel-good entertainment, packed with sharp and witty humour and also some truly moving sequences. The success of the film isn’t all down to him though with the actors being a major part of why the film works. Every single member of the impressive ensemble cast is excellent, bringing to life a variety of fantastic characters with performances that are both entertaining and convincing. They are so uniformly great in their roles that it is impossible to pick any who really stand out but here are a few who are worth special mention. Rhys Ifans is splendidly larger than life but doesn’t overplay his role to the extent that it would transform the character into a caricature, Rhys Darby is excellently offbeat, delivering one of the funniest performances of the film and Kenneth Branagh is suitably straight-faced and stern in the stern authority role. The impressive cast also features such great British talent as Emma Thompson, Gemma Arterton and Talulah Riley among many others. Despite the uniformly excellent cast, however, the film is not quite perfect. While the storyline is enjoyable and packed with humour, and culminates in a very tense and well executed climax (one of the more serious scenes in the film), the plot suffers at times from the fact that there is no one definitive storyline, with the film consisting of a variety of different plots revolving around different characters that don’t add up to an entirely satisfying whole. The result is a film that doesn’t flow as well as it could and that is perhaps a bit too long but the ultimate resolution is rewarding and the film as a whole is entertaining enough to overlook these shortcomings. All in all, The Boat That Rocked isn’t as wholly satisfying or successful a film as Curtis’ first directorial effort Love, Actually and it likely won’t appeal to as broad an audience, but as it stands it is a very welcome addition to the ever growing list of British comedy films and one goes a long way to eradicate any memory of a certain abomination that adorned cinema screens just a couple of weeks ago. It is a humorous and touching feel-good movie that will be sure to put a smile on your face and anyone who was around in the 60s will really be taken aback.
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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
© BRWC 2010.
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