Susan Murphy‘s wedding day is ruined when she is hit by a meteor and transformed into a fifty-foot tall woman dubbed “Ginormica.” Suzy is imprisoned with other monsters the government has captured: Dr. Cockroach, a mad scientist who is also a giant roach; the Missing Link, a girl-crazy half-fish/half-ape; Bob the blob; and the 350-foot Insectosaurus. Suzy and the monster team are called upon to stop a giant alien robot terrorizing San Francisco. Will Suzy and her new friends be able to defeat the evil alien Gallaxhar? And will Suzy ever return to her normal size?

Monsters vs. Aliens is an action-filled picture with roots in the many “giant monster” B-movies of the 1950s, with tanks, soldiers and airplanes attacking the giant robot; the robot and the friendly monsters battling over the Golden Gate bridge (and destroying it in the process); and many ray-gun battles between the monsters, the squidlike Gallaxhar, and his army of clones. Mixed in with this fantasy violence are a few slightly more violent moments: the newly-enlarged Suzy is shot with a giant hypodermic, which she plucks from her rear and throws at a soldier, pinning his foot; in a panic, her minister shoves the church organist aside as he flees in a panic; and Suzy throws various individuals into the air. There is also a good bit of knockabout slapstick, particularly when the monsters interact with one another. However, none of Monsters vs. Alien’s “violence” is any more graphic than that to be found in the ‘50s films it parodies.

There are a few other matters of possible concern to parents in the film. On first meeting Suzy, the clueless Bob makes one reference to her “boobies;” Link warns that Isectosaurus may “pee himself;” Gallaxhar swears, “Spaceballs!”; on seeing a giant enemy, one character blurts “OMG!”; and on several occasions Suzy refers to God (“Thank God,” “Please, God, please!” and the like). After an alien attack the President orders “Code Brown,” stating that “I need to change my pants.” Suzy kisses her fiancé, and in a humorous vignette a teenage girl prods her date to kiss her while parked in a “Lover’s Lane” (he never does). A man enters a secure government area by pressing his hand, foot, elbow and then naked rear against a scanner. One character briefly makes a gesture implying a woman’s breasts. Insectosaurus frequently discharges mucus from his nose to attack enemies, and there are many scenes of the bloblike Bob gulping down various people and objects (including his own eyeball) and then spitting them back out of his mouth, covered in slime.

Positive messages in the film include the other monsters accepting Suzy as she is, and Suzy’s acceptance of them – and her changed self – in return, the importance of friends, and Suzy’s discovery of her own worth as an individual.

Monsters vs. Aliens is an action-filled and enjoyable picture, sure to be a hit with young viewers, while adults may find the movie’s old-time monster theme familiar and it’s 3-D effects impressive, especially in the IMAX format; but the film’s few scenes of partial nudity and its frequent and crude bodily humor may be of concern to some parents. The Parents Television Council does not recommend Monsters vs. Aliens for children under age 7.