Respond to these rapid questions in our Monster Trucks quiz and we will tell you which Monster Trucks character you are. Play it now.
Think about rummaging through a flea market and coming across a slightly scratched-up VHS tape of one of those Amblin kid-friendly adventure films from the 1980s and 1990s, such as “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Gremlins,” “The Goonies,” “Batteries Not Included,” and the “Back to the Future” trilogy. You know, the kind of fantasy where the children discover that something strange and wonderful is lurking in their midst while the adults are preoccupied and have no idea what is going on? That kind of fantasy.
In many ways, watching “Monster Trucks,” a film that attempts to resurrect this old-fashioned style of storytelling while bolstered by 21st-century special effects, can feel like going back to your childhood, but without having to dig out that dusty VCR from the basement. Following several delays and a $115 million write-down against expected losses on the estimated $125 million family film, Chris Wedge’s first live-action effort, which is produced by Blue Sky Studios, the studio behind the “Ice Age” franchise, arrives in theaters with a somewhat tarnished reputation. This isn’t exactly a vote of confidence in the government.
And yet, Tripp (Lucas Till, Havok in the “X-Men” series, whose mechanical ingenuity shown in the recent “MacGyver” TV reboot comes in handy here), a small-town truck-obsessed high-school senior (Jane Levy of “Don’t Breathe” and sitcom “Suburgatory”), a class brain (Jane Levy of “Don’t Breathe” and sitcom “Monster Trucks” (yes, that’s a pun) never quite reaches the lofty moonlight heights reached by Elliott and his adorable alien companion in “E.T.” On the other hand, based on early reports, I had fairly low expectations going into the event. But, at the very least, it didn’t make me want to sink ever deeper into my seat in despair with every plot twist, as some truly awful movies tend to do.
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One of the most frustrating aspects of “Monster Trucks” is how content it is to take its sweet time before shifting into high-action gear, including some not-bad vehicle stunts, such as the sight of a 4X4 somehow clambering up the side of a building and speeding across rooftops, while engaging in pokey exposition and introducing a large number of new characters. We meet the shady oil company boss (a suitably slick Rob Lowe), who badgers a corporate scientist (Thomas Lennon, who plays his role with amusing understatement) into giving his approval to drilling in a lake, despite the fact that there are signs that a thriving ecosystem exists down there that could be harmed. Because of this, a conflagration results in the release of an aquatic beast with long tentacles and shark-like teeth as well as a Flipper-like smile that makes its way to the local junkyard run by a kind Danny Glover, which serves as Tripp’s refuge.
Monster Trucks Quiz
Meanwhile, as Tripp gets to know Creech, the name he has given to his new pet, it becomes clear that this teenage outsider is dealing with difficulties at home. In the years since his depressed husband (Frank Whaley) abandoned her and their son, his mother (an Amy Ryan who can be seen blinking and she’s gone) has been hanging out with the local sheriff (Barry Pepper, who does the best he can as a neat-freak law enforcement officer). Creech, on the other hand, does not simply allow him to go on joy rides. The experience transforms this rebel into an eco-warrior, as he and biology-loving Meredith attempt to save their four-legged friend Creech, while the bad guys see Creech as evidence of their wrongdoing that must be exterminated.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Monster Trucks quiz.
It’s not intended to be a cool deconstruction of Reagan-era entertainment in the vein of Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things,” which is exactly what it is. Most of the film’s high points, however, are based on modest retro charms, such as the cameo appearance of a Simon computer game (which actually receives more screen time than Amy Ryan), the use of bombastic music themes to heighten tension, and the occasional golden oldie such as Heart’s “Barracuda,” among others. We are relieved that the film isn’t silly or stupid when it finally unleashes its crash-bang-boom chase of a grand finale that manages to be both excessively violent and yet benign at the same time. As for the attractive Till, he fulfills his role as a throwback to the hero types played by Kevin Bacon and Patrick Swayze in the 1980s. As a side note, Wedge enjoys sight gags, such as the microwave door that opens at the most inconvenient of moments.
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Although Tripp causes vehicular mayhem, puts others’ lives in danger, and skips school with no repercussions, some parents may be pleased that the film promotes scientific thinking and environmental protection laws and regulations. Anyone will likely jump at the chance to claim an old Blu-ray copy of “Monster Trucks” decades from now—and I doubt anyone will be inspired to make a big-screen tribute in honor of the film.Also, you must try to play this Monster Trucks quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Foreigner Quiz.
