Earth in Peril, Children to the Rescue (original) (raw)

Movie Review | 'Aliens in the Attic'

The alien commander using a mind-control device on Robert Hoffman in “Aliens in the Attic.”.Credit...20th Century Fox

Aliens in the Attic

Directed by John Schultz

Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

1h 26m

July 31, 2009

In “Earth Girls Are Easy” in 1988, aliens come to Earth, see Geena Davis in a bikini and decide to spend their time partying and having sex. In “Aliens in the Attic,” which opened on Friday, a new group of intergalactic travelers comes to Earth, sees Ashley Tisdale in a bikini and decides to continue with its plans for widespread massacre and planetary domination. Coincidence?

Actually, that’s unfair to Ms. Tisdale, the “High School Musical” star, who spends much of “Aliens in the Attic” off screen. Most of the battling with the four-armed, knee-high green critters is done by a crew of young actors led by Carter Jenkins (the son in “Surface”) and Austin Robert Butler (“Ruby and the Rockits”), who, fortunately for the film, exhibit more personality than Ms. Tisdale.

Still, there’s only so much they can do to alleviate the tedium in what’s basically a tweener cable movie on steroids, with a bigger budget and a larger cast of B-list character actors. Kevin Nealon, Andy Richter and Tim Meadows pop in and out but are given nothing to do; Doris Roberts, as the grandmother of the extended clan whose vacation rental is the aliens’ gateway, gets to take part in an airborne martial-arts battle that may seriously disturb those who remember her in “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

The plot, a children’s adventure larded with some light twaddle about feeling different i.e., alienated because you’re good at math, has a gimmick: the aliens possess a mind-control device, but it has been miscalibrated and works only on adults. The quick-thinking young heroes realize that rather than run to their parents for help, they need to keep the old folks out of the way while they figure out how to stop the invasion. This gives the filmmakers the excuse they need to spend most of their time focused on the youngsters and their animated foes.

The four aliens physically resemble the nastier and much wittier monsters of Joe Dante’s “Gremlins” (1984). Unfortunately, the new versions speak English and have their own sitcom-ready personal problems, which just creates more noise in an 85-minute movie that has to accommodate 10 human family members, a clueless sheriff and a loutish boyfriend for Ms. Tisdale’s character.

Robert Hoffman as the boyfriend, who spends most of his time under the marionettelike control of either the aliens or the human children, provides the film’s occasional funny moments.

"Aliens in the Attic" is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). Cartoon violence and Ashley Tisdale as a hormonal teenager.

ALIENS IN THE ATTIC

Opened on Friday nationwide.

Directed by John Schultz; written by Mark Burton and Adam F. Goldberg, based on a story by Mr. Burton; director of photography, Don Burgess; edited by John Pace; music by John Debney; production designer, Barry Chusid; produced by Barry Josephson; released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes.

WITH: Kevin Nealon (Stuart), Robert Hoffman (Ricky), Doris Roberts (Nana Rose), Tim Meadows (Sheriff Doug Armstrong), Ashley Tisdale (Bethany Pearson), Carter Jenkins (Tom Pearson), Austin Butler (Jake Pearson), Ashley Boettcher (Hannah Pearson), Henri Young (Art Pearson) and Regan Young (Lee Pearson).

WITH THE VOICES OF: J. K. Simmons (Skip), Thomas Haden Church (Tazer), Kari Wahlgren (Razor) and Josh Peck (Sparks).

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