Friday, March 27, 2009

Go, Susan, Go!


Ok, I haven't seen this flick yet, and I'll admit I wanted to see it before even reading any reviews. But Slate's review today pretty much cemented my excitement. DreamWork's Monsters vs. Aliens looks like a tremendous amount of fun. Why did the Slate article catch my eye over the NYT?

An excerpt from the first paragraph:

"Not to let any unnecessary ideology creep into a review of a fun animated movie, but let's get this out of the way up front: Monsters vs. Aliens (DreamWorks Animation) is a film for children with a female lead. She is not the love interest, or the helpmate, or the mom. Nor is she a princess, or princesslike. She does not marry a prince or a prince-manqué. She does not marry at all. She tries to get married, but she is struck by a meteor on her wedding day (typical!), which transforms her into an unmarriageable, world-saving, 49-foot-11-inch superfreak and—thank you, O bountiful movie gods—a Strong Female Protagonist. (Or, as my more skeptical viewing companion put it, "a strong female protagonist who just happens to be ultra-skinny with big boobs and a pneumatic butt, and who sometimes wears a catsuit." Touché.)"

So, not only are there animated monsters and aliens, but a strong female lead! I'm ready to buy some popcorn. (I suppose it's worth noting that Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies is equally capable of kicking butt, though, she also has the sparkly "princess" title attached.)

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