Movie Review: Monsters vs. Aliens

Overview

It’s an age old tale, normal girl gets hit by a meteor, grows to 50 feet tall, gets left at the altar, is abducted by the government, meets a bunch of other monsters, only to be need by her abductors to save the world...along the way, Susan, our gigantic heroine, learns something about herself and how much being different isn’t always a bad thing.

In the 1950’s, the US government started a program to capture and contain all the monsters in the world...whew glad they were there to keep us safe. When Earth is attacked by an unstoppable alien threat, General W.R. Monger releases the team of Monsters to deal with the threat.

Dr. Cockroach, The Missing Link, Insectosaurus, and B.O.B. team up with Susan to stop Gallaxhar from destroying our world with his superior technology and clones. Even though they are rejects from society they become a group of friends who save the day!

All in all, it’s a very fun movie...great in 3-D!

Concerns

The movie is pretty clean. There are a couple of references to female breasts in slang. There are also a couple different potty humor jokes (Man pulls his pants down to have his bottom scanned for security – just a side shot and the president calls for a “code brown” to go change his pants). Other than that it was clean.

Teachable Themes

• Being Different

All of the monsters are rejected by the people they try to help; but it is their unique abilities that allow them to save the world. Susan actually chooses to become different so she can help the team.


• Believe in Yourself

Susan has wrapped herself up in her relationship with a self-centered fiancée. It isn’t until she turns into a monster and defeats the gigantic robot with the team that she starts to believe in herself. Once she sees what she can do – it changes her life. She finds herself when she sees herself as a person of worth.


• Choosing Your Friends Wisely

Susan’s fiancée is selfish and self-centered – when the change happens to Susan he can only see how it affects him. The monsters all see her as one of their own and accept her just as she is and prove that good friends stick close.

Biblical References

• Being Different

1 Peter 2:9-12 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.


• Believe in Yourself

Philippians 4:12-13 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."


• Choosing Your Friends Wisely

John 15:12-17 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

Discussion Questions

Being Different

1. What are some ways Christians are different than non-Chrisitans?
2. How should we act towards those who are not Chrisitans?
3. Has someone ever treated you bad because you were different?
4. How did people treat Jesus because he was different?
5. How can we pray for people who treat others bad for being different?

Believe in Yourself

1. How has God made you special?
2. Are we ever alone? Who is with us always?
3. How will God help us?
4. Who takes care of all our needs?
5. What is something you tried that you did bad at? Did you do better next time? How did you learn to do better?

Choosing Your Friends Wisely

1. Why is it important we be careful who we be friends with?
2. Have you ever gotten in trouble because of your friends? Do you still spend time with them?
3. What happens when we mix poison with water? Is the water good anymore? How do you think bad people can change good people?
4. How can we make sure that we are not hanging out with bad people?
5. What are some ways we can try to be a good influence on a bad person?