The makers of the animated flick Planet 51 could have aimed for thoughtful social commentary (Wall-E), groundbreaking animation styles (Finding Nemo), or parent-pandering jokes (The Incredibles). On second thought, maybe they did aim for all three of those. However, they fell far short, landing on mediocre entertainment instead. Adults won’t be bored, but they won’t be wowed either.
As the preview showed us, the film focuses on an astronaut who lands on a planet full of –gasp—aliens! Things quickly go haywire from there. Captain Chuck Baker, the astronaut, is not the true protagonist of the story; instead the storyline follows the suddenly interrupted life of Lem, a teenage “sci fi” geek. The setting is reminiscent of Back to the Future and the animation style reminded me of Toy Story.
The bottom line is, if you have kids, go ahead and take them because there are few truly family-friendly movies any more. They will enjoy the dog-like antics of a certain little robot. Or better yet, pull these old animated movies out of the closet. They still rank #1 and 2 on my list of best cartoons of all time, for their soaring scores, mature, heartbreaking themes, and memorable characters: Lion King and The Land Before Time.
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