Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space is a 2009 Halloween television special, based on the film Monsters vs. Aliens. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Peter Ramsey.
Released on DVD along with Scared Shrekless, it received a Blu-ray release on August 28, 2012, as a part of Shrek’s Spooky Stories.
Plot:
One night, a UFO drops a green goo substance into a large pumpkin field (apparently they were flushing their toilet). Farmer Jeb, the eccentric owner of the patch investigates but is taken by something offscreen.
Meanwhile, Susan and her monster friends prepare for Halloween celebrations; Missing Link practices scaring, B.O.B. tries to decide what he will be for Halloween and Susan has a “zombie cheerleader” costume ready. Doctor Cockroach however has no interest in Halloween because of a childhood trauma on that same night. Their prospect of Halloween is cut short when General W.R. Monger tells them that aliens have been detected in Modesto and orders them to investigate, on the provision of a need-to-know basis (“It’s Halloween, after all. We don’t wanna go around scaring folks.”). At Farmer Jeb’s patch, pumpkins are mysteriously being given away for free, with one family taking the largest one…
Review:
This short sequel easily passes the full length original with a perfectly compacted plot, already familiar characters — and therefore, in-jokes galore — a glittery gauche Halloween setting (with a few seconds of John Carpenter’s theme to boot), wonderfully extravagant vibrant animation and the sheer pleasure of the actors’ voices clearing enjoying themselves. Thoroughly recommended.
Adrian J. Smith, MOVIES and MANIA
Other reviews:
“Like most of DreamWorks’ animated features, the premise for the Monsters vs. Aliens pic surpassed the execution. Boiled down to a half-hour, however, the concept works just fine, with plenty of action, a terrific look and the most meagre possible plot.” Variety
