$1/Year To Create Films Like 'Monsters'?

Jeffrey Katzenberg has been the CEO of Dreamworks Animation through such films as 'Shrek 3', 'Kung Fu Panda', and 'Monsters vs Aliens' and just renewed his contract through 2013. The nature of his contract, however, is very interesting. Katzenberg will be paid $1/year with additional incentives tied to the company's continued financial success.

With 'Shrek 4', 'Kung Fu Panda 2', and 'How to Train Your Dragon' on the horizon, those additional incentives could really pay off! Congrats to Mr. Katzenberg for a job well done and all the best for your continued success!

Dreamworks Earnings Depend on 'Monsters'

Forbes posted an article about Dreamworks' 1st Q earnings, which were good. The interesting thing is that Dreamworks relies on one or two releases per year (with 'Monsters vs. Aliens' as the companies sole 2009 release) plus DVD sales.

With DVD sales slipping in the rough economy and Blu-Ray failing to bridge the gap, should Dreamworks up production a bit? Lets get 'Monsters vs. Aliens 2' cooking!

Weekend Box Office Report

For those of you keeping score at home, 'Monsters' raked in another $8.5 million this past weekend, enough to place it at number six in the box office rankings. To date, the Dreamworks film has grossed $174.8 million domestically!

'Monsters' Earnings Piling Up!

It was a good weekend for 'Monsters Vs. Aliens'...again! The two big releases for the weekend beginning April 17th ('17 Again' & 'State of Play') took the top two spots, but 'Monsters' took the number three box office spot. In doing so, the Dreamworks release beat out both 'Hannah Montana' and 'Fast & Furious', both of which are in their second weekends.

The win over 'Hannah Montana' is particularly impressive when you consider this is another kid-friendly pic (released by Disney no less).

The total U.S. earnings for 'Monsters' is now $162.7 million!

Very impressive stuff! Link here.

'Monsters' Set To Be A Hit In India

With the hit Dreamworks film set to open in India today, the Indian papers are alight with positive reviews. This film could be a real hit overseas, which is sure to make fans and investors happy. With big revenue comes the inevitable question...will there be a sequel?

To me, 'Monsters' doesn't lend itself to a sequel quite like 'Madagascar' or 'Shrek', but that doesn't mean they won't make one. Fans should keep an eye on the worldwide box office success and stay tuned for any updates!

One of the aforementioned reviews from an Indian paper is here.

Monsters & Aliens & Analogies...Oh My!

It has been raised in several movie reviews (and in other online chatter I've read) that 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' is an update of the 'Wizard of Oz' story. If you think this sounds like a bit of a stretch...you're not alone.



They (and I mean 'they' in the nameless, faceless sense) say that Susan is the new Dorothy, B.O.B. is the new scarecrow, Dr. Cockroach is the new Tin Man, and The Missing Link is the new Cowardly Lion. As far as I can tell, this is where any supposed similarities end.

Let me know if you think otherwise!

The Future is 3-D

I saw 'Monsters' with my wife and son in the traditional 35mm format. I loved it! I do, however, understand the movement by movie studios (which is being spearheaded by Dreamworks) toward the next generation 3-D technology. The question that will have to be answered in years to come is whether or not 3-D is a "flash-in-the-pan" that will lose its novelty (and therefore its appeal). Here is a link to an article about the fiscal impact 3-D films have had on the film industry. Interesting stuff.

Box Office: Weekend 3

'Monsters' brought in another $22.6 million this past weekend, bringing the cumulative gross earnings to just over $141 million!

The film did drop to number 3 on the box office chart behind 'Hannah Montana: The Movie' and 'Fast & Furious.'

'Monsters Vs. Aliens' DS Video Game Review

Being the huge fan that I am, I received the 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' game for DS in my Easter basket yesterday and popped into my system for a bit last night. My first reaction is that it is extremely fun and perfect for the young gamer in your family (it may be a bit too easy for an adult).

The gamer gets to play as different monsters for different levels and the gameplay is very fun. Each monster has his or her own abilities, which adds to the joy. For instance, B.O.B. can "melt" through grates and stick to EVERYTHING; Missing Link can climb walls, spit slime, and generally pound enemies with his hands, feet, and tail; Ginormica displays great strength and is particularly fun in the "racing levels" when she dons a pair of car-skates. The Dr. Cockroach levels are of the puzzle variety, where players use mirrors to redirect a laser beam toward targets.

Most of the combat levels are very easy, with unlimited lives and few enemies to defeat. The racing levels (with Ginormica) add a bit more challenge as you learn to coordinate sideways motions and ducking under enemies and street signs. The biggest challenges for me were the Dr. Cockroach puzzle levels. They are wickedly designed and very fun to work out.

When all was said and done, I was through nearly half of the levels in about 1.5 hours time. I fully expect the later levels to offer a bit more challenge, but (as I mentioned in the intro) 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' for DS is not a huge challenge for adult gamers. Luckily, it is alot of fun anyway!

Here is a link to a Washington Times article reviewing the game for 3rd gen consoles.

A Movie About Movies

'Monsters Vs. Aliens' is, in some ways, a movie about other movies. The creators are proud of the fact that they watched literally hundreds of old monster and alien movies as they developed the characters and plot points of this great animated adventure. USA Today posted an interesting (although brief and incomplete) article listing some of the more obvious pop culture references that can be found in 'Monsters.'

Please post your own pop culture discoveries in the comments section!

My Quest Is Complete. Gallaxhar Out.

This morning on my way into work I picked up the final 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' toy from McDonalds. As you may remember, I was looking for #7 (the robot probe). Now my son and I can recreate the Golden Gate Bridge showdown on our coffee table when I get home tonight!

I must say all of the McDonalds offerings for this promotion are pretty darn cool. A brief review of each toy follows:

#1: Ginormica - Everyone's favorite 49' 11" woman is a simple action figure with her trademark convertible car roller skates a la the battle for San Fran. It's a quality toy, but the colors are strangely wrong. She is sporting a blond head of hair and a red jumpsuit.

#2: Gallaxhar - The maniacal, clone-crazy villain of 'Monsters' comes to life in this very cool action figure. Pull on Gallaxhar's rubbery squid-legs and his head glows red.

#3: B.O.B. - The brainless blob of goo is half action figure, half wind-up vehicle. Just wind B.O.B.'s upper half, and set him on any flat surface and he will put on a twisting, turning show. This toy will not work well on carpet or flooring with grooves. The mold is hilarious with a wide, goofy grin.

#4: Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. - The bug-headed mad scientist (don't call him a quack) is a cool pull-back vehicle. One of the coolest features is the speed-burst style of his motion. The modified trolley starts slow before bursting forward.

#5: The Missing Link - Half-fish, half-ape, all awesome! The Missing Link is a great action figure that will shake when wound up. He comes with an icy encasement that he will bust out of when his head-fin is depressed!

#6: Gallaxhar's Ship - This tiny recreation of Gallaxhar's huge ship is a fun toy. When the Gallaxhar in the center is depressed, three of his loyal clones will launch outward!

#7: Robot Probe - A great, classic action figure. The toy comes in his "Easter egg" form, with legs and arms that can extend to do battle with the monsters. As an added bonus, the eye is a lenticular sticker that will appear to open and close when you tilt the figure back and forth.

#8: Insectosaurus - This is probably my favorite of the bunch. A simple, well-designed toy, Insectosaurus has a small panel on his belly that can be depressed to create a "bray." The fact that this sound in no way resembles the bellows of everyone's favorite destroyer of cities does not detract from the toy's greatness.

If you've gotten your hands on any of these toys, please comment away!

My Quest Has Lead Me To McDonalds!

If you have not yet realized it, McDonalds has the exclusive 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' line of fast-food toys. The best part...they are pretty cool!

When I was a kid, my parents used to truck me and my brothers from McDonalds to McDonalds (all over the East-side of Baltimore County) looking for whatever Happy Meal toy we had our eyes on. The goal was always the same: collect the complete set! Flashing forward to 2009, parents can easily visit ebay and get a complete set of any line of toys (fast-food or otherwise) with a quick mouse-click. The problem with this method of cheesy-toy acquisition? It's no fun!

After my wife and I took our 2.5-year-old to see 'Monsters' on March 27th, we immediately visited the nearest McDonalds and purchased the Ginormica toy (#1 of 8 in the series). Since then, I have been traveling to various locations in a quest to get the complete set.

I am happy to report that as of this morning, I now have 7 of 8 of the 'Monster' toys. My only concern is that I picked up #8 today and have yet to find #7! Tonight I will call multiple locations to see if I can track down the elusive #7 (the giant alien robot).

When my quest is complete, not only will I have all of the McDonalds 'Monsters' toys, I will also have the right to claim I acquired them the old-fashioned way! Then, I'll call my parents and thank them...after all, they didn't even have the ebay option!

'Monsters' Tops $100 Million

In its second weekend, 'Monsters Vs. Aliens' stomped its way past the $100 million mark. Total sales for the first two weekends = $106 million.

Additionally, Fox Business is reporting that the hit Dreamworks film broke the record for the largest IMAX opening, bringing in $5.1 million.

Way to go, Monsters!

Check Out The Official Site! Right Now!

The official Monsters Vs. Aliens web site is one of the best movie sites I've ever seen. It is packed with fun for fans of all ages. I'll be posting some more details as I explore all of the features, games, etc. In the meantime, be sure to experience it for yourself!