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Movies / In Cinemas / Planet 51
Planet 51

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Planet 51 (2009)

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Reviews Counted:88

Fresh:18

Rotten:70

Average Rating:4.1/10

Consensus: Planet 51 squanders an interesting premise with an overly familiar storyline, stock characters, and humor that alternates between curious and potentially offensive.

Rated: U [See Full Rating] for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:04-12-2009

Synopsis: The tables are turned in this animated sci-fi adventure featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, and John Cleese. In PLANET 51, an... The tables are turned in this animated sci-fi adventure featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, and John Cleese. In PLANET 51, an astronaut arrives on a distant planet, but he's not alone; he's surrounded by aliens who desperately fear invasion by...aliens. [More]

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, John Cleese

Director: Jorge Blanco

Director: Jorge Blanco
Screenwriter: Joe Stillman
Producer: Ignacio Perez Dolset, Guy Collins
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Reviews for Planet 51

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

There’s enough of a storyline here to keep younger space cadets moderately settled.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
12/04/09
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A hideously annoying and emotionally blank tale.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
12/04/09
Kevin Maher
Kevin Maher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It could have added up to something. Alas, any excitement is submerged by the relentless barrage of trite sci-fi allusions and nudge-nudge gags aimed solely at adults.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
12/04/09
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The action pans out pretty predictably but such is the verve of the story and the impressive visuals you may find yourself heading off course to catch Planet 51.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
12/04/09
Tim Evans
Tim Evans
Sky Movies

A jumble of kiddie slapstick and pointless chases.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
12/04/09
Jonathan Crocker
Jonathan Crocker
Total Film

The laughs come thick and fast in a sprightly kid pleaser full of slapstick set-pieces and memorable characters, while more grown-up viewers will find themselves grinning at pastiches of the Cold War paranoia of bygone sci-fi movies.

Full Review Source: Radio Times | comment Comment
12/04/09
Terry Staunton
Terry Staunton
Radio Times

An extremely dull and unfunny comedy with pop-culture references where the gags should be, and humdrum voicings.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
12/04/09
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

While pretty much a cut-and-shut of every animated movie of the past decade, this sci-fi comedy should achieve blast-off with the under-10s. For adults, however, this is as solidly so what? as you can get.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
12/04/09
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Good fun if you can put up with the pastel colours and plasticky textures, which show that in modern fantasy animation all that pixellates isn’t Pixar.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
12/04/09
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

It's frenetic and knowing in the modern manner, though, a couple of good gags apart, not very funny. Its patchiness merely demonstrates the gap between Pixar and the rest of the field – which is the distance between genius and talent.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/04/09
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Amiable, lightweight fare that adults might appreciate more than children.

Full Review Source: Daily Express | comment Comment
12/04/09
Allan Hunter
Allan Hunter
Daily Express

There's not a single laugh-out-loud moment in the whole film.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
12/04/09
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Silly but not hilarious ... with a message that's so simplistic you might miss it.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/04/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

It's no shock to see Shrek co- writer Joe Stillman on the credits, because Planet 51 follows the exact same formula - slapstick for the kids, sly gags for the parents and a rubbish romantic subplot for nobody.

Full Review Source: News of the World | comment Comment
12/04/09
Robbie Collin
Robbie Collin
News of the World

Inoffensively bland.

Full Review Source: Scotsman | comment Comment
12/04/09
Alistair Harkness
Alistair Harkness
Scotsman

When a film's best characters are rip-offs from other movies. you know you're in trouble.

Full Review Source: SFX Magazine | comment Comment
12/03/09
Jayne Nelson
Jayne Nelson
SFX Magazine

Like the alien town of Glipforg at its core, Planet 51 offers attractions that are just a little too familiar to take the viewer out of this world.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/30/09
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Independently and internationally produced CG animated comedy Planet 51 has the visuals to compare with bigger budgeted Hollywood studio offerings but not the storytelling spark.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
11/18/09
John Hazelton
John Hazelton
Screen International

Little kids who've never seen this story before might get a kick out of it and its bold colours. Parents will be yawning and looking at their watches. At least G-Force dared you to hate it; this just dares you to stay awake.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine Australasia | comment Comment
12/07/09
Michael Adams
Michael Adams
Empire Magazine Australasia

Glar and his friends are more or less all-purpose protestors, showing up on sidewalks with placards announcing, "We're really upset!" over nothing specific. And that makes them about as amiable and as bland as everyone else on Planet 51.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
12/04/09
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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