Monster Trucks

Did I enjoy _Monster Trucks_? No. But I am actually pretty on board with this as a kids movie. _Final rating:★★ - Definitely not for me, but I sort of get the appeal._

Hmmm! "Tripp" (Lucas Till) is the boy-next-door type working in a local scrap-yard where he discovers a rather large, octopus like, creature that likes to take over the undercarriages of trucks - making them bigger, faster and leaner to drive. All they require in return is a regular feeding of oil. Just like a baby drinks gallons of milk, well they can't get enough of the stuff. Thing is, though, this originally sea-dwelling creature (and two of his companions) are suffering at the hands of a fracking company that is after their oil supply and, of course, is after them too! It is soon down to "Tripp" and his feisty friend "Meredith" (Jane Levy) to save the day, the beasties and to thwart the evil plans of Rob Lowe (yes, THE Rob Lowe) whose "Reece Tenneson" character is determined to sow it all up and make a killing. Danny Glover also features here, so clearly director Chris Wedge has some numbers in his phone book, but perhaps he ought to have focussed more on some folks who could write and on a lead actor who didn't look like he had come straight out of a Dairylea cheese advert. Till is easy enough on the eye but he has no screen presence whatsoever, and from him on down this rather clunkily presented, environmentally stodgy, sci-fi adventure just trundles along for far too long before an ending that delivers just desserts on everyone and makes the audience want to go "awww, bless...". Some of the action stunts must have been fun to make and once it's up and running it doesn't hang about, but sadly the sum of these parts should all end up where "Tripp" works - in a junk yard.