Monsters vs Aliens IMAX 3-D ***

"Monsters vs Aliens" is fun for all, not just the kids. A rag-tag collection of top-secret 'fifties provenance monsters sequestered by the government is called into service when conventional arms fail to stop an alien invasion. There's a blob, a mad scientist/cockroach, a giant caterpillar, a man-fish, and an incredible giant woman, voiced by Reese Witherspoon, who's really just an ordinary girl who got struck by the wrong meteor. The exploits of the team, and the growth - no pun intended - of the giant woman into a strong and confident leader makes for an entertaining ride, with plenty of asides and references that will be best appreciated by the grownups in the audience.

And 3D enhances everything. In a continuation of their strategy and of a clear industry trend, Dreamworks' latest animated feature was released in 3D and IMAX 3D. And the public loves it, with 28% of screens in 3D producing 58% of the gross its first weekend. There are 10 more 3D features slated for release this year alone, and I, for one, am delighted. 3D heightens the experience, and when combined with the immersive size of an IMAX screen, it can be truly thrilling. While "Coraline" made good use of 3D and color to differentiate the hidden world and the "real" world, "Monsters" uses it to add depth to hugely-scaled sets and punch to action sequences.

The monsters are engaging and each is funny, and effective, in its own way. This wild bunch clearly could come back to fight another day.

Rated PG. 94 minutes. Rob Letterman - Director / Writer (screenplay) (story), Conrad Vernon - Director / Writer (story), Maya Forbes - Writer (screenplay), Wallace Wolodarsky - Writer (screenplay), Jonathan Aibel - Writer (screenplay), Glenn Berger - Writer (screenplay), Lisa Stewart - Producer, Henry Jackman - Composer, Joyce Arrastia - Editor, Eric Dapkewicz - Editor.

Principal voices: Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert, Renée Zellweger, and Rainn Wilson.