I saw Monsters vs. Aliens on Sunday with the smaller components of the family. Cute. Those of you without kids, add it to your rental list for someday. It has quite a bit in it to amuse those of us old enough to appreciate '50s B-movie homages. It also has <tugs at collar, mops forehead> the, um, sexiest lead animation figure since at least Pocahontas.
I won't review the movie itself except to say that it's a pretty good story, pretty well done, and the adult asides come fast enough to fill in any kid-level stretches of celluloid. ([Character has not been outside in 50 years.] "The earth is getting warmer? That's a convenient truth!" Steven Colbert as the President. Etc.)
Anyway, I have to comment on the new generation of 3D technology. It is, finally, mature. Bright, sharp, excellent control of visual depth, and stops being intrusive after just a few minutes. The rest is in the hands of filmmakers, not to repeat the errors of prior generations (even Dial M for Murder has its overdone WOW! THREE-DEE! moments that look even more ridiculous in flatscreen). DWA did okay with this one. Things pointlessly jump out of the screen only once - in the beginning, what's clearly meant to be a jape at the old-school 3D technique. Very few instances of using deep depth just to push the Oh-Wow button.
The trailers for Up and a few other forthcoming 3D films were pretty impressive, too.
Anyway, I think 3D is really, truly here to stay this time. There's a veritable landslide of films coming this summer and I think by, oh, summer '11 it will be the accepted standard. I look forward to the first Oscar-worthy adult offering in STARTLING LIFELIKE THREE DIMENSIONAL TERROR!... sorry. I mean 3D.
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