Monster Trucks (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monster Trucks |
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Theatrical release poster by Steven Chorney
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| Directed by | Chris Wedge |
| Screenplay by | Derek Connolly |
| Story by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Dave Sardy |
| Cinematography | Don Burgess |
| Editing by | Conrad Buff IV |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 21, 2016 (France) January 13, 2017 (United States) |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $125 million |
| Money made | $64.5 million |
Monster Trucks is a 2016 American monster action comedy film produced by Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies and Disruption Entertainment for Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Chris Wedge, in his live-action directorial debut, and written by Derek Connolly, from a story by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Matthew Robinson. The film stars Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Amy Ryan, Rob Lowe, Danny Glover, Barry Pepper and Holt McCallany, and follows a high schooler who finds an escaped monster living in his truck.
The film premiered on December 21, 2016 in France. It was released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on January 13, 2017, and received mixed to negative reviews from critics. A box-office bomb, Monster Trucks grossed $64 million worldwide against its $125 million budget.
Plot
Terravex Oil is in the midst of a fracking operation in North Dakota, overseen by CEO Reece Tenneson and geologist Jim Dowd. The operation releases three subterranean creatures from an underground water system and destroys the drilling rig. Two are captured by Terravex, but one of them escapes. Meanwhile, high school senior Tripp Coley has taken up a job at a junkyard, where he builds a pickup truck in hopes of being able to leave his town. The truck doesn't have a working drivetrain. One night, Tripp encounters the escaped creature in the junkyard and captures it, but the creature escapes before he can seek authorities.
The next day Tripp, along with his classmate Meredith, find the creature has a diet of oil and it takes shelter within the hood of his truck. He befriends him, names him Creech, and promises to help him get home. Tripp modifies the truck to give Creech more control as a makeshift engine. The truck acts as a 'wheelchair' for Creech to operate. Meanwhile, Tenneson is still concerned about the incident at the drilling rig, since similar experiments have revealed the existence of other creatures. He decides to protect the company's image by drilling poison into a hole leading to the underwater tunnels, and by sending hired mercenary Burke to kill their captured creatures, to the objection of Jim, as he finds the monsters have significant intelligence and emotions, as well as a hive mind intelligence that allows both of the captured specimens to learn what was taught to one.
Tripp and Meredith go see Tripp's father Wade to seek help, but Wade sells Tripp out to Burke. Tripp and Meredith escape in the truck with Creech. Tripp, Meredith and Creech are chased by Burke and his team along with Rick. Tripp, Meredith and Creech escape by jumping over a MRL local with a MP15DC leading train, and camp at a hunting cabin.
When Creech gets the sense something bad will happen to the other creatures, he heads to the Terravex headquarters where the other creatures are being held captive. Tripp and Meredith follow Creech. When they arrive, they find Creech's parents, but are attacked by Terravex workers. Creech arrives and is captured; Tripp and Meredith are taken to Tenneson.
Jim decides to help Tripp and Meredith rescue the creatures. They acquire two more trucks. They modify the trucks for Creech's parents to control. Jim helps the group by stealing the Terravex truck on which Creech's parents are loaded. At the dealership, the creatures take control of the modified trucks, and the group make their escape up the mountain leading to the tunnels.
Terravex gives chase up the mountain and the group escapes. On the way, Rick helps Tripp and the group escape from Burke, preventing Burke from ramming them off the road and later stealing a large truck to block the road to prevent further pursuit. After realizing the poison has been inserted, Tripp gets into a head-on battle with Burke, who attempts to push him into the drilling hole, but ends when Tripp and Creech overturn Burke's truck, destroying the poison machine and killing Burke when his truck is thrown into the equipment. Creech saves Tripp from drowning before he and his parents depart back home and Terravex is exposed by the group for the experimentation that was harming the creatures' habitat. Tenneson is arrested for his crimes, Tripp and Rick develop on good terms and together build a new engine for the truck, and Tripp and Meredith begin a relationship.
Cast
- Lucas Till as Tripp Coley, a high school senior.
- Jane Levy as Meredith, Tripp's tutor and love interest.
- Amy Ryan as Cynthia "Cindy" Coley, Tripp's mother, Wade’s ex-wife, and Rick’s new live-in wife.
- Rob Lowe as Reece Tenneson, the film's main antagonist.
- Danny Glover as Mr. Weathers, Tripp's paraplegic boss.
- Barry Pepper as Sheriff Richard "Rick" Lovick, the local sheriff, Cindy's new live-in husband, and Tripp’s stepfather.
- Holt McCallany as Burke, Reece's henchman and one of the film's villains.
- Frank Whaley as Wade Coley, Tripp's estranged father and Cindy's ex-husband.
- Thomas Lennon as Dr. Jim Dowd, a scientist.
- Tucker Albrizzi as Sam Geldon, Tripp's friend.
- Samara Weaving as Brianne
- Daniel Bacon as Technician
