Underrated gem...too subtle for some?
'Planet 51' was the last thing showing at our local theatre that I hadn't already seen. The previews and lobby displays (mis)led me to believe it was just another throwaway kids' cartoon, full of forced cuteness, predictable gags, and cardboard characters; but I had time to kill and the ticket was at matinee price, so I finally went in. Am I ever glad I did!
The obvious send-up of 1950s American culture is fun, and so is the shoe-on-the-other-foot twist of the human being viewed as the fearful alien menace, but if that's all a viewer takes away, he or she is missing a lot. There was plenty of unexpected satire that had me laughing out loud through much of the film. There is also a profound message that centering one's society around perpetual fear can cause more harm to a culture's core values than the thing being feared; however, the message very carefully doesn't get in the way of the humanity (alienity?) of the story.
The music was well done and really...
Funny, thought-provoking, and underappreciated
My six year old son laughed throughout this movie. Tons of song and movie references (everything from Singing in the Rain to Alien) kept the adults interested, too. I was really surprised that a movie rated as having 'minor violence' actually opened with [story-within-a-story] footage of ray guns disintegrating people, but it didn't turn out too violent for us as a whole. I would think twice before showing it to a younger or more sensitive kid, though.
I think this movie is really underappreciated. It didn't have the most spectacular graphics ever, and the love story was admittedly predictable, but the altered perspective - humans as aliens! - was compelling, and the cultural references made for non-stop amusement. The adorable Rover alone would be enough reason to watch it again.
More for adults than kids, peppered with pop culture references
I had stayed away from this movie because of all the negative reviews, but my husband persuaded me to give it a try since it was playing at the dollar theater. We also brought our 5-year-old daughter along, thinking this was going to be a kids' movie. Well, though our daughter was entertained, I think this movie is best appreciated by adults who can grasp all of the pop culture references, especially those 50s sci-fi flicks. If you fall into this latter category, chances are you'll be entertained, as my husband and I (both movie buffs) were. The visuals are bright and colorful, and serve to keep kids' interest.
The story itself is a kind of twist - instead of human being invaded by aliens (as was so typical of 50s sci-fi flicks), here we have an alien culture who are terrified of a human astronaut who inadvertently lands on their planet. The entire planet is populated by a race of green creatures with antennaes, and they all embrace the music of the 50s, read 50s comics,...
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