‘Monsters vs. Aliens’

If you haven’t yet, consider working the animated action fable “Monsters vs. Aliens” into your schedule before the tsunami of summer movies hits. With its ‘50s retro visual style, its story of benevolent monsters with a towering Reese Witherspoon in the lead, you just can’t help but feel the world is a little safer place. This is a very U.S.-centric movie, with the monsters using our military muscle to fight back an alien invasion, and there is a lot of flag-waving any time victory comes, which might be why the film hasn’t been the hit overseas that it has been here. Which is too bad, because “Monsters’ ” central theme -- that being different is not just OK but something to celebrate -- is a good one in any language.

-- Betsy Sharkey