"Monsters vs. Aliens": Collection of witty characters doesn't make up for lack of story

Time marches on, and technology trots right along behind it, and, huffing and puffing, animated films just keep on getting better — technically better, that is. When viewed in 3-D, "Monsters vs. Aliens" is often breathtaking: the seamlessness of a paddle ball bouncing methodically right toward our heads; the audacious vastness of a scene involving the destruction of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, with cars tootling along like multicolored M & Ms.

But I suspect that if viewed in 2-D, the movie becomes just another animated feature with a few storytelling problems — cleverer than most, perhaps, but not up to the standards of "WALL• E" or "Ratatouille," despite all the technical flourishes.

What drags down "Monsters vs. Aliens" is that it feels more like a collection of witty characters than an actual story. We meet a group of monsters, held in a secret government hideaway: Susan (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), a woman turned gigantic after being struck with outer-space slime; Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), the token mad scientist complete with John Waters pencil mustache; The Missing Link (Will Arnett), who's half-ape, half-fish; B.O.B., a gelatinous mass lacking backbone or brain (Seth Rogen); and the voiceless Insectosaurus, a vast grub. Commandeered by the President (a slyly funny Stephen Colbert), the monsters are dispatched against an invading alien bent upon destroying San Francisco.

By themselves, each of these characters works just fine. There's something wistfully funny in the way Susan insistently rejects having a scary monster name, and in how B.O.B. falls in love with a plate of Jell-O, and in how Dr. Cockroach, in the way of all mad scientists, does his experiments using whatever materials are on hand (here, pizza boxes and a toaster).

But the "Monster vs. Aliens" team of screenwriters (five are credited) falls down as the story heads into its final third; the wit gets rarer and the movie becomes the sort of generic race-to-the-finish-line adventure that we've seen many times before.

Do see this movie in 3-D if you can, and don't hesitate to send the kids; there's just enough silly humor to keep them happy, particularly in the antics of the endearing B.O.B. (Who would have thought a gelatinous blob could be so adorable?) Adults will appreciate the technology and a few in-jokes (the government alert for alien invasion, for example, is "Code Nimoy").

It's amazing, though, how quickly we adjust to visual wonders. Sure, Susan's skating through a very credible 3-D San Francisco at breakneck speed with cars on her feet, and it's a remarkable sight — but after a while, you may be wanting the low-tech pleasures of a good story well told.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com