--- title: "Monsters vs Aliens" year: 2009 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/monsters-vs-aliens" fi1m_id: "monsters-vs-aliens" imdb_id: "tt0892782" tmdb_id: 15512 wikidata_id: "Q681918" fi1m_score: 63 critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 17 published: "2026-10-05T11:30:24.359107+00:00" updated: "2026-10-05T11:30:47.504416+00:00" region: "ZA" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Monsters vs Aliens (2009) Directed by Conrad Vernon, Rob Letterman · 1h 34m · Animation, Family, Adventure, Science Fiction ## Identity Monsters vs Aliens - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/monsters-vs-aliens - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** monsters-vs-aliens - **IMDb ID:** tt0892782 - **TMDB ID:** 15512 - **Wikidata ID:** Q681918 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892782/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15512, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q681918 **Fi1m score: 63** · Critics 65 from 17 reviews *In a sentence:* The President of the United States greets the alien with a keyboard solo and the film never tops it > A fond, fast send-up of 1950s creature features with a first-rate comic cast and a story that would not fill the back of a cereal box. The jokes land; the story keeps stopping to tell us what Susan has learned. ## Synopsis Modesto, California, on her wedding day: Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is about to marry weatherman Derek Dietl (Paul Rudd) when a meteorite lands on her. She reaches the altar nearly fifty feet tall. The army tranquillises her and General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) locks her in a secret desert facility with the other monsters: B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), a brainless blue blob; Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie), a scientist whose experiment went wrong; The Missing Link (Will Arnett), a thawed fish-man; and Insectosaurus, a grub the size of a tower block. Susan wants her old life back. Then an alien warlord, Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson), sends a robot probe to Earth, and President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert) is persuaded the monsters are the only ones who can stop it. ## Review Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon have made a 94-minute cartoon out of the drive-in monster films of the 1950s. Each of their five creatures is borrowed: Susan is the 50 Foot Woman, B.O.B. is the Blob, Dr. Cockroach is the Fly, the Missing Link is the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Insectosaurus is a Japanese giant grub with the name changed. The joke is that the American government has kept them in a desert hangar for decades and finally lets them out. It is a good joke, the cast plays it well, and the film has thought of almost nothing to put behind it. The voices are the reason to stay. Seth Rogen gives B.O.B., a blue jelly with no brain, a cheerful idiocy that is funny in every scene and never once mean; he loses the thread halfway through a sentence and is delighted when it comes back. Hugh Laurie plays Dr. Cockroach as an English boffin who has kept his manners through the business of acquiring an insect’s head; his cackle arrives a beat late every time, which is the right beat. Will Arnett’s Missing Link is a sportsman gone to seed who insists he is still in shape while wheezing. Kiefer Sutherland barks General W.R. Monger from under a jetpack. Reese Witherspoon is earnest as Susan, and has been handed the straight part, which here means standing still while the others are funny. We laughed hardest at a keyboard. Stephen Colbert’s President Hathaway walks alone up a long ramp towards the robot that has landed in California, and the method he has chosen for first contact is to play it a tune. Colbert gives the man the pride in his own bravery the moment needs, and the pay-off is timed to the frame. It is the one point where the film is funny about something, the vanity of people in charge, rather than funny next to it. Nothing in the following hour came close, and we felt the gap. David James’s design is clean and knows its period. Modesto is pastel bungalows and lawn sprinklers; the monsters’ prison is grey concrete with doors the size of office blocks; Gallaxhar’s ship is lilac and chrome. The bridge set piece, with Susan on skates made of two cars, is the best stretch of action, and Erika Dapkewicz and Joyce Arrastia cut it so that we know which end of the bridge the robot is at. The film was built for 3-D, and at home, flat, you can see the seams: objects fly at the camera for no reason the scene can give. Henry Jackman’s score does the fifties straight, brass for the army and a creeping electronic wobble for the saucer, and it is better when it is making fun than when it is asking us to care. The caring is the trouble. The story is by Vernon and Letterman and the screenplay by five people, Glenn Berger, Maya Forbes, Letterman, Jonathan Aibel and Wallace Wolodarsky, and between them they have arrived at one idea: Susan should learn that she is worth something without Derek. The film states this. Susan states it. Then the film states it again, in case the youngest viewers missed it. Rainn Wilson’s Gallaxhar wants a thing, has the thing explained, and gives speeches about the thing, and Wilson is given nothing to do but say the lines. By the middle stretch, when Susan goes home to her parents (Julie White and Jeffrey Tambor) and the lesson is restated at a garden party, we had stopped listening and were waiting for the next thing somebody would throw. The stakes are a city and we never once thought anyone in it was in danger. That is not a crime in a PG cartoon, but it is why the bridge is exciting and the rest is merely loud. Take a child of seven or so and they will have a fine evening; take the parents and they will get the keyboard, the references and Laurie. The monsters were worth freeing. The film did not know what to do with them once the doors were open. *Fi1m score 63, published 5 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics find Monsters vs Aliens lively, good-natured fun, and the praise settles in two places. The first is the 3-D, which most reviews name as the clearest attraction, for its action and for the sight gags built for the format. The second is the affectionate pastiche of 1950s creature features, which the reviews call clever and detailed rather than merely referential. The voice cast is well liked too, with Seth Rogen’s B.O.B. picked out as the character who steals the picture. Empire goes furthest, saying it can compete with the best computer-animated films. The reservations cluster on the story. Even admiring critics call it familiar and shallow, happier to distract than to invent, and more than one measures it against Pixar and finds it short. The spread is narrow: most verdicts sit in the middle, finding it enjoyable but unlikely to last. Only Digital Spy dissents outright, calling it a mishmash that trades heart for easy laughs. ## Straight answers **Is Monsters vs Aliens worth watching?** *Monsters vs Aliens* is worth watching for a child of seven or so, and we scored it 63. The voice cast carries it: Seth Rogen's brainless blob and Hugh Laurie's cockroach scientist are funny in every scene, and Stephen Colbert's President greeting an alien robot with a keyboard solo is the best gag in the film. The story stops repeatedly to tell us what Susan has learned, and parents will notice. **How long is Monsters vs Aliens, and what is it rated?** *Monsters vs Aliens* runs 1h 34m. It is an animation and family film. **Where can I watch Monsters vs Aliens in South Africa?** *Monsters vs Aliens* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in South Africa, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV from R34.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How does Monsters vs Aliens compare to The Iron Giant?** *Monsters vs Aliens* is the louder and shallower of the two films, and [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) is the better one. Both set a visitor from the sky down in 1950s America, but Brad Bird makes a boy's friendship with a robot funny, tender and worth worrying about, where the monsters' city-sized stakes never once feel dangerous. Choose the giant for feeling, the monsters for a fast evening of jokes. **What should I watch after Monsters vs Aliens?** After *Monsters vs Aliens*, try [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) (1999, Fi1m 88): Another fifties America meets another thing from the sky, and this one breaks your heart. Then [*Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit*](https://film.one/film/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit) (2005, Fi1m 87): A British monster-film spoof in plasticine, with better jokes and a vegetable competition; and [*Megamind*](https://film.one/film/megamind) (2010, Fi1m 72): Same studio, same comic voices, and a villain who is given an actual inner life. ### Reviews we read (17) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): Newman gives the film a strongly positive verdict, saying it can compete with the best computer-animated films. He especially praises its outstanding 3-D action and affectionate, clever take on 1950s monster movies. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/monsters-vs-aliens-review/) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): The critic finds it charming, funny and ingeniously detailed. They praise its smart scripting and superior craftsmanship as a valentine to B-movie creature features. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1rkzqa/monsters-vs-aliens/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (78/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds it great fun and good value, with playful pastiche of classic monster films. He notes that its gallery of freaky creatures may not engage young audiences as well as humanoid characters. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/03/monsters-vs-aliens-film-review) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): Ebert gives the film a positive verdict as an entertaining animated comedy. He singles out its visual humor and playful use of 3-D for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/monsters-vs-aliens-2009) - **The New York Times**, A. O. Scott (74/100, inferred): The review regards the animated comedy as an entertaining but familiar studio spectacle. It singles out the film’s 3-D presentation as its clearest attraction. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/movies/27mons.html) - **Evening Standard**, The Standard (70/100, inferred): The review finds the film lively and wacky, though it notes DreamWorks rarely reaches Pixar’s imaginative heights. It praises the fast pace and playful references to classic monster films. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/monsters-vs-aliens-is-spaced-out-7439038.html) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (70/100, inferred): Honeycutt finds it a clever, entertaining start for DreamWorks’ 3-D animation slate, though he questions whether the format could narrow animation’s ambitions. He praises its affectionate sci-fi references and lively mix of action, jokes, and tender moments. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/monsters-aliens-film-review-92971/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (65/100, inferred): Sharkey finds the film enjoyable but unlikely to become a classic, with its action and comedy never quite bold enough. She praises Susan’s female-empowerment arc and the clean, 1950s-inspired visual style. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-mar-27-et-monsters27-story.html) - **The AV Club**, Tasha Robinson (65/100, inferred): Robinson finds the film lively and entertaining, but ultimately shallow and content to distract rather than innovate. She praises the monsters’ snappy banter while criticizing the celebrity-driven scenes that stall the action. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/monsters-vs-aliens-1798205910) - **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The available page identifies this as a review but reveals no critical verdict. Its praise or complaints cannot be determined from the paywalled text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/monsters-vs-aliens/4043683.article) - **Time Out**, Derek Adams (3/5): The review gives the film three out of five stars, indicating a middling verdict. The accessible page text does not reveal what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/monsters-vs-aliens-1) - **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (2/4): Schager finds the film mildly amusing but shallow, rushed, and lacking a coherent thematic backbone. He praises its technically adept, eye-popping 3D action, while noting its battles lack excitement and inventiveness. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/monsters-vs-aliens/) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (50/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film amusing and congenial but ultimately a moderate underachievement. He praises its 3-D spectacle and action, while faulting the monsters’ limited usefulness and the lack of bigger laughs or original invention. [Read](https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/monsters-vs-aliens-1200474080/) - **Den of Geek**, Glen Chapman (3/5): Chapman finds the film thoroughly enjoyable, though its weak story and underdeveloped characters keep it from matching the best animated features. He praises the animation and vocal performances, particularly Kiefer Sutherland and Hugh Laurie. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/monsters-vs-aliens-dvd-review/) - **Paste**, Josh Jackson (60/100, inferred): Jackson finds the film lightweight amusement that gives children what they want, but offers little beyond that. He praises the well-chosen comic cast, particularly Seth Rogen and Stephen Colbert. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/aliens/monsters-vs-aliens) - **Eye for Film**, Tony Sullivan (50/100, inferred): Sullivan finds the film merely OK and ultimately disappointing, despite expecting more from its promising comic premise. He praises the 3-D presentation and singles out Seth Rogen’s B.O.B. as the character who steals the picture. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/monsters-vs-aliens-film-review-by-tony-sullivan) - **Digital Spy**, Simon Reynolds (30/100, inferred): Reynolds finds the film an unsatisfying mishmash that sacrifices heart and soul for easy laughs. He praises its visual style and some engaging characters, but says its slick spectacle and clichéd story fail to deliver. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a150676/monsters-vs-aliens/) ## Details - **Director:** Conrad Vernon, Rob Letterman - **Director:** Conrad Vernon, Rob Letterman - **Screenplay:** Jonathan Aibel, Rob Letterman, Maya Forbes, Glenn Berger, Wallace Wolodarsky - **Story:** Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon - **Editor:** Joyce Arrastia, Erika Dapkewicz - **Music:** Henry Jackman - **Production design:** David James - **Producer:** Lisa Stewart - **Cast:** Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy / Ginormica (voice); Seth Rogen as B.O.B. (voice); Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. (voice); Rainn Wilson as Gallaxhar (voice); Will Arnett as The Missing Link (voice); Kiefer Sutherland as General W.R. Monger (voice); Paul Rudd as Derek Dietl (voice); Stephen Colbert as President Hathaway (voice) - **Runtime:** 1h 34m - **Release (South Africa):** 3 April 2009 - **Genres:** Animation, Family, Adventure, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $175 million - **Box office:** $382 million ## Where to watch in South Africa - Amazon Prime Video: streaming - Netflix: streaming - Apple TV: rent R34.99, hd - Apple TV: buy R39.99, hd *Checked 2026-10-05.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2010: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (nominated) - Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film 2009: Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Attack of the 50 Foot Woman* (1958): The original giantess, played straight, in sixty-five minutes of cheap and cheerful fury. - *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: Another fifties America meets another thing from the sky, and this one breaks your heart. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md) - *Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit* (2005), Fi1m 87: A British monster-film spoof in plasticine, with better jokes and a vegetable competition. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit.md) - *Megamind* (2010), Fi1m 72: Same studio, same comic voices, and a villain who is given an actual inner life. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/megamind.md) - *The Mitchells vs. the Machines* (2021), Fi1m 76: Family against the apocalypse again, this time with a story that trusts the family. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-mitchells-vs-the-machines.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/monsters-vs-aliens