So as I’m sitting there in the theater I’m already wondering how many synonyms for colossal I can come up with. Let’s see—there’s immense, enormous, mammoth…

Anyway, you get the idea: the lasting impression created by Monsters vs. Aliens is one of size. As in big storyline—the invasion of Earth, no less—big creatures, big robots, big spaceships, big exteriors (and big interiors!), big sounds, big laughs, and some fairly big stars at the top of their game.

Granted, I saw MvA in IMAX, but I can’t help but think that the experience would hold true for neighborhood theaters as well. In fact, this is a movie that deserves your theatrical attention far more than most—you probably shouldn't mentally file it under “Netflix” or “kids’ film, will catch up with it later.” My rec is that if you’re going to see MvA at all, go whole hog. No, you don’t need to sit in the front row (you may end up cowering), but don’t hide out in the back either.

Of course a large part of the film’s success in terms of pure, movie-going pleasure stems from its 3-D effects. These seem to make their biggest impact near the beginning, perhaps because I loved the outer space imagery in the opening but also because that’s where the filmmakers self-consciously seem to play things up the most. It’s as if they know you’re both adjusting to and scrutinizing the 3-D at this point and want to mess with you a little. For example, there’s a completely gratuitous paddleball moment, which is hilarious precisely because it’s so blatantly gratuitous. Later on, I’m happy to report, the 3-D doesn’t call attention itself but blends in with the rest of the storytelling—this isn’t one of those movies where you can tell entire scenes are staged with eye to creating some forced, comin’-at-ya payoff. With MvA, 3-D is just one part of the film’s overall policy of HUGENESS. So at the risk of repetition, I should state flat-out that rarely have the movies, live-action or animated, so convincingly conveyed utter massiveness.

And that’s no, er, small feat. It speaks to something primal, I think, about the cinematic experience, meaning the act of descending into a darkened theater and being dazzled with a bigger-than-life lightshow of images and ideas. Most of us these days don’t, or aren’t able to, observe the sprawling night sky with an expanded sense of wonder, or climb alpine mountains, or deal with charging elephants—so the things that enchant us through sheer scale are largely up there on movie screens. As if addressing this kind of innate need, MvA bulges out at our senses. Sometimes this is evident in the direction, which makes wonderful use of off-screen space. Likewise, the terrific sound design also adds dimensionality—although its effectiveness might go unnoticed by many simply because there’s so much eye candy to distract us.

As with many animated films of the past decade, MvA’s renderings are often more successful when dealing with the fantastic—monsters, creatures, or people who are so bizarre that they might as well be members of the first two groups—than they are dealing with everyday folks.

When it comes to real flesh and blood, as with the protagonist Susan and her circle of friends, the wide-faced, doll-like character designs can be vaguely disturbing, especially when they are meant to portray attractiveness, a problem compounded by numerous oppressive close-ups. Similarly, the most mundanely “human” parts of the script, such as the romcom interaction between Paul Rudd’s weatherman character and Susan, are its weakest and most predictable aspects.

The voice acting, however, is top notch throughout. I wish that Will Arnett’s character, The Missing Link, had been provided a larger role in the story, but Arnett does a fine job with what he’s given. Seth Rogen (as the cleverly named “Bob,” a kid-friendly version of The Blob) is an actor whose work I’ve never consistently enjoyed, but here he really shines—he’s arguably the movie’s most reliable laugh-generator. Keifer Sutherland is so great, and in such an unrecognizable way, that at first I wasn’t even sure which character he was playing (and I won’t specify it here either, on the off-chance you’ll be equally surprised). Hugh Laurie (best line: “You’re going to feel a slight pinch in the brain”) is flawless, as one might expect. On the other hand, Rainn Wilson (best line: “I come in peace, I mean you no harm, you will all die”) is a real revelation as the villain—one would think he’s been doing voice work like this for years. For a while these talents are given a run for their money by Stephen Colbert, who, as the President, adds a zany charge to the proceedings, especially during an amusing Close Encounters spoof. And although eventually his schtick grows a bit tiring, you’ll probably want to stay around for the closing credits, when a brief epilogue provides a punch line to one of his running gags.

Reese Witherspoon (best line: “I want a real kitty, hanging from a real tree.”) is never less than solid... but rarely more than it either. Overall, she does a good job of holding the movie together, but it’s not as if it needed a star of her magnitude, or talent, in this role. Frankly, her character is rather bland, but of course that’s partly the point: drop an ordinary Jane into extraordinary circumstances. And those circumstances are pretty much always engaging, often on multiple levels as older audiences will pick up on nods to classics such as Dr. Strangelove, Bullitt, and, in one particularly inspired moment, Vertigo. Sure, there are some lines that fall flat, but chances are in less than a minute you’ll be chuckling again.

Reese Witherspoon and friend attend the UK premiere of Monsters vs. Aliens. Credit: Jorge Herrera

But Monster vs. Aliens isn’t all about laughs. Indeed, one audience segment that should enjoy it are fans of superhero flicks and comics: when Susan’s powers really start to kick in, the imagery works on a pure, action-movie level that I was nicely surprised by. Science-fiction fans should also get a kick out of the premise, which features an ultra-covert ‘50s-era government program à la Transformers, but this time as a vehicle to mash up various landmark genre films such as The Fly. And while I’m free associating a bit, the team of monsters also struck me as a post-War, American, and slightly demented version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Co-director Rob Letterman, however, cites The Dirty Dozen as inspiration, and indeed he  comes very close to achieving an upbeat version of that film. Of course here none of our misfit heroes are mowed down by Nazis, so that helps. But more seriously, I must admit that Monsters vs. Aliens is one of the very few family studio movies for which I’d actually welcome a sequel. Though aspects of its denouement are a tad predictable, it’s hard not to leave the theater with a smile on your face, wanting to repeat the ride.