When the movie starts, Percy has returned to Camp Half-Blood, a haven for his kind, as well as for assorted satyrs and suspended gods. It's there that he finds his old friend, the satyr Grover (Brandon T. Jackson, again). But the camp's protection, secured by a magical tree, has broken down, and it's vulnerable to nasty mechanical monsters like the Colchis Bull, a stomper if there ever was one. The only way to secure the home front, Percy learns through a prophecy, will be to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
Sexually frustrated ape inadvertently invents base-jumping
Anyone who has never shed a tear as this love-struck great ape uncomprehendingly swats at his tormentors from the top of the Empire State Building is as stone-hearted as Skull Island itself. Special effects pioneer Willis O'Brien made Kong one of the few cinematic monsters to occupy the emotional as well as the narrative heart of their own movie and his towering achievement is still the benchmark for anyone who would make a myth from a ropey old monster yarn. The 1976 remake was a dull rehash that paired Love Boat-style soap with an inexplicably green monkey, and while Peter Jackson came close to capturing the wonder of the original, the 1933 vintage remains a dark fairytale unmatched by modern pretenders.
Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space is a short that manages to be superior to the movie that spawned it. Monsters Vs Aliens is an animated adventure that arrived in cinemas in 2009, with Resse Witherspoon (Big Little Lies) playing Susan, a woman who is struck by a meteor and grows to become a giant. Susan is soon recruited to a secret group of monsters that defend the planet from various threats. This includes an amorphous, chatty blob named B.O.B, voiced by Seth Rogen (Long Shot) and Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie).
Parents need to know that Love and Monsters is a post-apocalyptic adventure-comedy-thriller starring Dylan O'Brien. He plays Joel, the odd man out in a small underground colony that formed after asteroid pieces hit Earth seven years before, wiping out 95% of the population and turning cold-blooded creatures into monstrous, human-killing mutants. When Joel realizes that his former girlfriend is only 85 miles away, he decides to brave the surface, which is filled with countless supersized creepy crawlies capable of killing people. They're sometimes quite frightening, strking quickly and injuring or killing several characters. People use various weapons (guns, crossbows, grenades, etc.) against the monsters, and there are many close calls involving humans and the movie's beloved dog. Joel talks about the fact that most of his podmates have coupled up and are having loud, physical relationships; there are also a few kissing scenes. Language is occasionally strong ("s--t," "holy s--t," "damn," etc.), and some characters drink homemade beer. Amid the scares, the movie promotes communication, empathy, perseverance, and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
O'Brien, who first broke out in Teen Wolf and then The Maze Runner films, is quite good at portraying Joel, a self-deprecating everyguy who's known more for making his colony minestrone than for fighting the monsters aboveground. He sketches and journals and tries to keep his PTSD at bay, until one day he decides to risk everything to reach Aimee, whom his brain has turned into an idealized version of his one true love. Rooker and Greenblatt are appealing as his hardened but kind companions on the road, and a shout-out needs to be given to the canine performer who plays the expressive Boy. For an uplifting view of humanity, even at what seems like the end of the world, check out this understated adventure about a guy who survives and thrives against all odds.
Matthews wanted to create an easily accessible post-apocalyptic experience that emersed the audiences into larger than life interactions with these giant monsters with a healthy dose of humour. Many of the creatures featured in the film pay homage to creators/fellow monster lovers including Ridley Scott and Ray Harryhausen.