MONSTER TRUCKS
US, 2016, 105 minutes, Colour.
Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Rob Lowe, Danny Glover, Amy Ryan, Barry Pepper, Holt Mc Allany.
Directed by Chris Wedge.
With a title like Monster Truck, it seemed as if this would be an animation film, Monsters Inc… However, it is a live-action show – although it plays very much in the vein of an animation film. Its target audience would be children and teenagers.
Ultimately, there is a message very much in favour of the environment, the impact of drilling, discoveries in the various levels under the surface of the earth, business exploitation, lies and cover-ups. Rob Lowe is the arch-villain, manager of a drilling company, hiring yes-men as scientific advisors as well as thugs to do his dirty work. When he gives the go-ahead to keep drilling despite warnings and dangers, much of his enterprise goes up in explosions. But, the real surprise is that in hitting an underground water level, he brings prehistoric creatures to the surface!
In the meantime, Trip (Lucas Till) lives with his mother, goes to school where there is a rivalry with a rich kid with a big rich vehicle, a very serious-minded science student (Jane Levy), and an eye being kept on him by the local sheriff (Barry Pepper) who is rather keen on Trip’s mother. There is also an agreeable old man (Danny Glover) who runs a local garage and vehicle destruction enterprise.
The main action is a kind of variation on Free Willy, one of the rather large creatures, looks like an early dolphin but has octopus tentacles, quite large. But, it is rather endearing in its behaviour, hiding from the boss’s thugs under a truck, squeezing itself into the truck itself and, with energy and speed, can outrun any vehicle and any monster truck!
Which sets the scene for the adventures to come as well as the action stunts and special effects.
When it is discovered that there are several other creatures in the boss’s captivity, looked after by a meek scientist, Thomas Lennon, who has a change of heart, of course, and wants to participate in the freedom of the creatures and return them home to the earth’s depths.
This requires the reconditioning of several vehicles, with the help of the old man as well as one of Trip’s friends, son of a wealthy car dealer. And, when all is ready, there is a huge chase through the mountains, the creatures powering the vehicles, barriers put across the highways, huge leaps, characters dangling from open doors – but nothing like a big tentacle to remedy the situation!
It all builds up to a huge confrontation, the creatures going back home into their deep hole, Trip falling in but, perhaps this is a spoiler alert but everybody will be ready for it, the benign creatures saving him and restoring him to mother, sheriff, girlfriend, and a happy life because his contribution to saving the world!
1. The target audience? Response of younger audiences, boys, girls? Adult response?
2. The focus on trucks, on machines and machinery, on working with machinery, working on cars and trucks? The roller derby and the action?
3. The environment, exploitation, fossil fuels, breaking the law, money deals and silence? Buying the police?
4. The environment, life, new creatures and species, protection? The establishing of the situation, Tennyson, the boss, Daniel the scientist, the drilling, information about the water level, the ethics, the decision, the drilling, the enormous explosion, destruction, and the creatures surfacing?
5. Trip, his age, relationship with his mother, the absent father, with Rick, Rick as the sheriff? Riding his bike? In the bus, the rival student with his flashy car? Trip as ordinary, school, meeting with Meredith, pairing with her for science? His friendship with the wealthy boy, son of the car dealer?
6. The old man, his work, the crushing of the cars, the emergence of the creature, Trip hiding, calling the police, the creature vanishing?
7. The creature, part dolphin, giant squid, big eyes, the smile, the teeth and the mouth?
8. Tennyson, handling the situation, taking the two creatures with Daniel caring for them? Burke and his cohorts, the search, breaking the law?
9. Daniel, with the creatures, fostering them, learning that they needed oil, their playing of the musical sounds, communicating with each other? His delight?
10. The creature going into the truck, Burke arriving, Trip concealing him? Manoeuvres with the truck getting away?
11. Meredith, study, interest in biology, coming to work with Trip? The drive, the discovery of the creature? Excitement?
12. Trip, his absent father, seeing him on the television, going to see him, his caravan, his long absence, his communicating with Burke, his apology to Trip, the van going through his caravan?
13. The creature with Trip and Meredith, going to the water, the swimming and enjoyment, the electric energy, going to the garage for oil? Meredith’s credit card?
14. Rick, discussions with Burke, the two assistants, not believing Trip? The two underlings giving the information to Burke? Rick, the pursuit?
15. The stunts and action with the truck and the creature? Streets, side streets, above the street, sideways, leaping over the roofs? The pursuit, leaping over the train carriage? Rick and his reaction?
16. Trip and Meredith taken, the confrontation with Tennyson? The creature coming, invading, reunited with the members of his family?
17. Daniel, the decision to save the creatures? Trip and his idea, getting the trucks, from his friend at the dealership and allowing him to help? Taking his rival’s truck and repossession?
18. The work, during the night, everybody involved, the re-conditioning?
19. Daniel and his help, becoming one of the drivers? The details of the pursuit, excitement, the different terrain, the fire across the road, the cliffs, the creature doing rescues?
The decision of the three cars to leap? The poison trucks? Burke, the confrontation, edging Trip over the edge? The rebound and his hitting the poison tanks?
20. Trip, in the water, the creature saving him, all the creatures gathering to farewell him and thanks?
21. Tennyson arrested, Daniel happy as a geologist? The review of all the characters, Rick and Trip’s mother, the old man? And the future with Meredith?
