Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
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A group of misfit monsters must team up to defend Earth from an extraterrestrial invasion.
The story
In Modesto, California, Susan Murphy's life changes drastically when a meteorite hits her during her wedding, causing her to grow to over 50 feet tall. She is taken to a secret government facility for monsters, where she meets a group of misfits including a cockroach-human hybrid, a brainless blob of goo, a prehistoric fish-ape, and a giant mutated bug. When a mysterious alien overlord, Gallaxhar, sends a robotic probe to Earth to find a powerful substance called Quantonium located within Susan's body, the military offers the monsters their freedom if they can stop the robot and protect the planet.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Susan Murphy grows into the giant 'Ginormica' due to a meteorite's impact, she is imprisoned with other monsters. When the alien Gallaxhar sends a probe to San Francisco to seize the Quantonium inside her, the monsters are released to fight it. They successfully destroy the probe, and the government grants them freedom. However, Gallaxhar arrives personally to claim the substance. During the confrontation, Ginormica is captured and shrunk by a machine, while Insectosaurus is seemingly killed. The monsters, led by Monger, infiltrate Gallaxhar's ship. They rescue Ginormica, who re-absorbs the Quantonium to regain her size and defeats Gallaxhar's forces. The ship explodes, and the heroes return home to a hero's welcome. In a post-credits scene, President Hathaway accidentally triggers a nuclear launch while trying to celebrate with coffee.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Conrad Vernon; Rob Letterman
- Writers
- Rob Letterman · screenplay; Maya Forbes · screenplay; Wally Wolodarsky · screenplay; Jonathan Aibel · screenplay; Glenn Berger · screenplay; Rob Letterman · story; Conrad Vernon · story
- Cast and characters
- Reese Witherspoon · Susan Murphy/Ginormica; Seth Rogen · B.O.B.; Hugh Laurie · Dr. Cockroach Ph.D.; Will Arnett · The Missing Link; Kiefer Sutherland · General W.R. Monger; Rainn Wilson · Gallaxhar; Stephen Colbert · President Eugene Hathaway; Paul Rudd · Derek Dietl
- Genres
- animated; science fiction; comedy
- Themes
- unlikely alliances; self-acceptance
- Tone and mood
- humorous; action-packed
- Setting
- Modesto, San Francisco, and a mysterious spaceship in the modern era.
- Premise and plot tags
- monster movie; alien invasion; size change
- Source material / true-story basis
- Rex Havoc
- Franchise connections
- Monsters vs. Aliens
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Animated Film · 2009 · win
- Production trivia
- It was the first DreamWorks feature produced in a stereoscopic 3D format from the start.; The film's development was based on a comic book called Rex Havoc.; It took over 45 million computing hours to animate.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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