Planet 51

23.02.2010

Film Trailer

The life of 16-year-old Lem is turned upside down when the astronaut Chuck lands in his home town on Planet 51. This animation film has a good concept and offers decent entertainment, but the story is full of clichés and poor dialogue.

Plot
The town of Glipforg on Planet 51 bears a remarkable resemblance to a residential neighbourhood in the US in the 1950s. Here Lem lives, a 16-year-old boy who seems to have a bright future ahead of him. He has just been given a job at the local planetarium, and at the same time he learns that Nera, the girl of his dreams, likes him.

But then an amazing incident occurs. A spaceship from a distant planet lands in the middle of town, and a scary alien steps out. This is astronaut Charles ”Chuck” Baker, who has come from the planet Earth to investigate the alien planet. This arouses great commotion among the inhabitants, and the army mobilizes massive forces to capture the alien.

Chuck, on his hand, is just as surprised to see the green people on Planet 51 as they are of seeing him. Panicked, he escapes and hides in the planetarium. Here he encounters Lem, and after some hullabaloo Chuck manages to convince Lem that his intentions are not evil.

Lem decides to help Chuck, but this is no simple task. The army is determined to capture the stranded alien, remove his brain and study him piece by piece. Lem’s friends Skiff and Eckle become eager helpers, and even though Nera is sceptical at first, she soon realizes that Lem’s secretive project is a heroic effort to help a stranger in distress.

Quality and Theme
During the last few years, an increasing number of computer animated movies have been released. Several of these offer excellent family entertainment, but with so many releases there are bound to be a few that don’t have the highest standard. Unfortunately it must be said that “Planet 51” belong among the less successful, even though the concept of the movie is good. The idea of a role reversal between aliens and humans is a very fun and original twist. In addition, the movie offers several exciting and fun scenes which at times are very entertaining.

However, the story as a whole does not work well. The relationships between the characters are never allowed to develop properly – one example is seen when Lem and Chuck evolve from being terrified of each other to becoming best friends in just a few seconds. The so-called touching scenes seem artificial and feigned, and the same can be said about the dialogue. The movie contains a number of references to other movies, especially within the science fiction genre. Several of these are fun for adults (e.g. the “Alien” dog named Ripley), but eventually it’s simply too much of it. In addition, the filmmakers have on several occasions chosen some way too simple solutions, one example being the fact that the population of Planet 51 just happens to speak English.

On the other hand, the movie’s message is good. Lem learns that if you take your time to get to know people of different backgrounds and upbringings you can find your best friend. He also understands that the scariest of all is the unknown. But with an open mind and an effort to get to know the unknown life can become better than you ever could have imagined.

Suitability
This movie has a ”U” rating, but due to several action filled scenes it is not recommended for children under 7 years of age. Children between the ages of 7 and 13 will probably enjoy the movie, but for older children the movies’ weaknesses probably will put a damper on the mood.

Conclusion
As a whole, ”Planet 51” is a movie that tries to be fun, smart and touching, but that doesn’t succeed completely. The movie offers decent entertainment, but there are better movies to spend your time on.

Facts

Director: Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad and Marcos Martínez Genre: Comedy, Animation Voices: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Beil, Gary Oldman, John Cleese m.fl. Nationality: USA Production Company: Ilion Animation, HandMade Films Length: 1t 30min Production Year: 2009 Age Limit: U Suitability: Family BBFC’s Consumer Advice: Contains mild comic violence.

Our Assessment: OK