Review of Monster Trucks (2016) by Dave C — 16 Jan 2017

Time will tell, but Monster Trucks just might qualify as the strangest movie I see this year.

For one, the film is a big budget production that has apparently found itself in a battle against its own idea. Letting the idea of a monster that inhabits a truck apparently makes for good internet fodder (even if it was only going off the trailer). This likely led to the film only bringing in 10 million over the weekend (for a film that cost close to 200 million to make).

Secondly, word on the street is that the film was originally being written for a slightly older crowd. Forecasting the challenge of the internet fodder pushed it back onto the editing floor in efforts to reformat its core audience. This ended up tweaking the story a bit younger than intended.

All of this has led to a film that tries to be a number of things all at the same time.

Having seen the film, I must say, they actually do a decent job at explaining the whole idea of the monster in the truck. If there was a way for them to make the whole concept make sense (pratically), they managed to find a way, and it keeps the film from becoming cheesy.

It is still, however, a film about a monster in a truck, and there were a number of ways they could approach the story behind the concept.

After moving us through a very quick sequence of events that bring the monster into play, we are introduced to the main character (Tripp) who is presented as a young senior trying to navigate a broken home and difficult social life (alcoholic and absent father, outcast at school). These opening scenes are quite good, and open the door to approach the film in a more serious manner (kind of like they did with Pete's Dragon). But then we veer into some sequences that feel more like a film that intends to approach the concept in a more over the top, fun and ridiculous manner. More of a satire and farce than a serious story.

This back and forth follows the film throughout, moving from the action sequences to the more serious subject matter (which moves from Tripp to a message about environmentalism). It gives the entire film a weird and loopy feel that left me uncertain about what kind of film it really wanted to be.

And here's the thing: the on-screen monster (which is not really a monster) looks quite good, and the film spends a good deal of time giving us some nice close up shots of the monster's detail. But this attention to detail mixes a weirdly compelling gross factor with the sweetness that story brings out of the creature. It's a rather confusing mix of emotion. And this is not to mention it is a film about environmental consciousness that is also about a gas guzzling truck. But hey, that should reach both crowds right?

The film is a mix of old school 80's films, throwing in a little bit of E.T. and A Never Ending Story with a bit of Pete the Dragon and Herbie. If that makes any sense you are further along than I am in understanding Monster Trucks. And to be honest, I could see my 8-10 year old self loving this film back in the 80's. As an adult, I must admit that it succeeded in taking me back to my 8 year old self.

There is a cohesive story, and the seriousness of the opening sequence gives it just enough to carry through some of the hodge podge of tones, just enough to enjoy the heart behind the monster-Tripp relationship, even as we are laughing at the more satirical parts of the film in the next scene (I hope Jane Levy's character was intended as a satire, because I laughed every time she was on the screen).

I think if you choose not to take the film too seriously, but allow yourself to fall for the weirdly charming monster, you might get this film. If you are free to yell "come on Macgyver", and still care enough to say "awe" when Tripp says "you are a good monster", you might enjoy the film. And your experience might depend on the company you watch it with. It is a film that I think our son would have really liked two years ago. He simply enjoyed it at 15. I enjoyed it because I was able to allow myself to shed a few years off of myself at the same time.