Monsters vs. Aliens - Mutanten-Kürbisse aus dem Weltall

Monsters vs Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (2009)

*** (out of 4)

Fun short picks up after the events in MONSTERS VS. ALIENS as it's Halloween time and a spacecraft lands on Earth and dumps some waste on a patch of pumpkins. That night these pumpkins turn into the title creatures so it's up to Susan (voice of Reese Witherspoon) and her friends to try and defeat them and return the holiday to the children. As of watching this I hadn't gotten around to watching the film that all of these characters came from but after viewing this short I'm certainly going to move it up on my list. I thought for the most part this was a pretty entertaining film and especially if you don't take it overly serious. I think the film certainly captures the mood and spirit of Halloween and I really liked the title creatures. The entire sequence of the spaceship landing was very well done and I thought the animation on the pumpkins was extremely good. The vocal performances were all good as well so there's certainly no problem here. The entire look of the film was another major plus and especially Susan's parents house and the various decorations they have up.

I quite enjoyed the film Monsters V Aliens, even if Pixar's continual "making it look easy" performance means that Dreamworks generally look like they are falling short of the mark even when they make enjoyable films. This Halloween special came on that is connected to the film and I figured I'd give it a go because normally the Pixar shorts that use characters from the movie are very funny as they are shorter and able just to play on the humour of the characters.

Mutant Pumpkins etc does this to a point and, when it does it is really quite funny. BOB frozen in a doorway unsure of what to say was very funny indeed as one example. The action itself is all big and silly and will be enjoyed by children (who may or may not get the "don't eat too much candy" message that is sort of in there) but the problem with this is that there is too much scene setting. Not so much in terms of the narrative but just in terms of having "seasonal" stuff in there. Where I wanted quick-fire jokes I instead got Halloween themed stuff that seemed in there because it was a Halloween special, as opposed to being in there because it was funny.

It is funny enough to bother with though – particularly if you enjoyed the characters from the film. Wisely BOB and Dr Cockroach get a good bit of material each since they are the funniest characters, but others also are given time that they don't really justify by being funny. Glad I saw it without adverts padding it out to a longer run time though as it is best enjoyed as short as possible so that it doesn't have to do too much carrying. Amusing fare but nothing particularly great about it despite a handful of good laughs.

The gang goes to Susan's hometown of Modesto, California after an alien presence is detected right before Halloween. An alien ship had flushed onto a patch of pumpkins mutating them into monsters. The group must battle the candy eating pumpkins on Halloween night.

This is a 30 minute Halloween special. The gang has great chemistry together. It's a smaller simplified version of the movie. It's a fun group especially BOB. The fact that it is smaller and simplified may actually help it. It doesn't feel overstretched. The setup was easy. The characters do some jokes. There's a bit of action, and they win in the end. It's a fun watch for 30 minutes.

I did enjoy the movie Monsters vs. Aliens, so naturally I did want to see Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space. I found this very entertaining and perfect to go with the movie. Generally it is well-plotted and engaging, even if there is the odd spot where it does feel predictable or thin. It looks beautiful especially in the colours which are bright and colourful, and the music is jaunty and rousing. The characters are still as likable as they were in the movie, and the writing is witty and funny, right from the dialogue, the physical jokes to the references to adult movies, making it accessible to adults as well as children.

All in all, well worth watching and very entertaining. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This film is about monsters saving the world by fighting mutant pumpkins that came from a UFO.

"Monsters vs Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space" is a fun short animation. The plot is very simple, as not much can be packed into 20 minutes anyway. It tells how people prepare for Halloween, and the plentiful Halloween themes and decorations make the short animation appear very festive. I have a feeling that it is geared towards very young children, judged by the abundance of candies and sweets. Which young child does not dream of being forcibly fed non stop by a candy cannon?