Word: childrene
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...animated alien science fiction comedy featuring Cold War social commentary and impressive CGI graphics, the film inverts the traditional “aliens attack Earth” storyline by portraying a human invasion of an alien society. Despite a political allegory that is too subtle for children yet too obvious for adults, the film succeeds as an entertainingly cute, if not totally memorable, space comedy...
...blatant parallel with Cold War-era McCarthyism—which manifests itself through the growing paranoia of the aliens as they search for Chuck and accuse their fellow townspeople of being his zombie followers—is clever and original in a movie made for children. But most of the references will be lost on the film’s younger audiences, and reminders of the film’s political subtext—the aliens’ collection of UFO artifacts includes none other than the Sputnik satellite, complete with “USSR” imprinted in Russian?...
Despite this fairly straightforward unfolding of events, the film remains entertaining. Amid the obligatory smattering of slapstick comedy scenes, whimsically amusing details highlight the differences between Earth and Planet 51. The aliens exchange “high fours,” alien children don astronaut costumes for the premiere of a new “Humaniacs” movie, and Chuck’s “Macarena”-playing iPod is labeled a dangerous and cruel weapon. Chuck’s mechanized companion, Rover, is a source of endearing robot humor that resonates with all audiences, despite being...
...person narrator, Cal recounts his family’s story, including scenes and thoughts that he could not possibly know, adding his own opinions, musings, and questions. Describing his father’s conception, Cal poses, “Parents are supposed to pass down physical traits to their children, but it’s my belief that all sorts of other things get passed down, too: motifs, scenarios, even fates. Wouldn’t I also sneak up on a girl pretending to be asleep?” Cal is able to wax lyrical about the grand scheme...
...Make Friends with a Townie: But don’t get too intimate—you wouldn’t want to end up with children who aren’t double legacies. Then again, they don’t go to Yale, so that’s one thing in their favor...