REEL CRITICS:

“Monsters vs. Aliens” is the year’s first animated hit with great family-friendly appeal. Dreamworks has created a cast of lovable monsters who end up fighting evil aliens with the survival of the Earth at stake. The first-rate production values feature outstanding computer graphics.

The exuberant plot sports a retro sci-fi theme with many plot devices from the major B movies of the 1950s. A glowing meteor turns a lovely bride into a 50-foot-tall woman.

She joins forces with a blob, a swamp creature and a couple of insect mutants. Together they overcome personal problems and government stupidity to challenge the invading aliens’ attempt to conquer the planet.

The great special effects may be too loud and some battles too intense for very young children. There are some scenes that put lots of innocent bystanders in violent danger and earn the film’s PG rating.

But the whole enterprise will amuse older kids while delivering lots of inside jokes their parents will enjoy. There are more possible candidates to come, but this movie will likely be a nominee for Best Animated Film.

‘Haunting’ a pretty typical ghost movie

There are many “cover your eyes” moments in “A Haunting in Connecticut.” It’s creepy yet familiar, dumb but unsettling. Sort of like watching “Millionaire Matchmaker” on cable.

Sara Campbell (Virginia Madsen) must subject her son Matt (Kyle Gallner) to a grueling daily commute from his cancer treatments. She, her husband and extended family end up renting a house close to the center, and Sara deems it “perfect for us.”

Never mind that it’s old and dark, and there are doors in the basement that won’t open. It’s cheap and “has a history.” Oh yeah, and it makes strange groaning noises, just like you’ll be doing.

Matt naturally picks this creepy room as his own.

He starts having bad dreams about what’s behind that door, and Mom refuses to accept the possibility that (a) Kyle’s treatment may be causing hallucinations and (b) maybe she should have researched the house better.

Big shock: The house was a former mortuary, and what’s behind the mystery doors is best described as most unsuitable for young children. Then things do more than just go bump in the night.

“Haunting” is marketed as being based on a true story. OK, maybe.

But it’s also derivative of every haunted-house flick you can think of from. There’s even a strange cleric (Elias Koteas) who just happens to be an authority on the undead. Coincidence or corny? You decide.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.