Aliens in the Attic (PG)

Aliens in the Attic is an adventure family film with a difference. You might well think that preventing aliens from invading the planet is a plot that has been done to death - Independence Day, Mars Attacks, War of the Worlds and Signs to name but four. However, has there ever been an alien invasion, in which the fate of the planet lands in the laps of six adolescents? Not that I recall.
 
For Tom Pearson (Jenkins) life isn’t always easy, growing up with the experience that smart boys like him  are at a disadvantage, are unpopular and picked on for their intelligence. He soon comes to realise though that it sometimes pays to be smart, especially when he finds that a few unwanted visitors have landed in his attic. When the aliens declare that they have come to claim the planet as their own, it is up to the youngsters of the Pearson family to stop the aliens from putting their plan into action.
 
There is a discrepancy between the trailer that has been circulating and the actual film with regard to the plot. The trailer give the impression that there are three aliens planning to “attack the humans” and one friendly alien, who is there to guide the kids on their mission to stop the invasion. In fact all the aliens start out on the same side and it is only through the relationship with a child that the younger and more intellectual one finds the courage to walk away from his alien counterparts and help the children. And with that one cleared up, the plot is engaging and at times side splitting.
 
Some of the funniest parts of Aliens in the Attic involve the mind control devices that the aliens have in their armoury. By shooting an implant into the back of someone’s neck, they can manipulate that person into doing and saying whatever the controller wishes. Seeing an elderly woman back flip and slide down a stair banister and another fella slapping himself silly is rather amusing, especially when they are not aware of their actions afterwards.
 
Being a live action film rather than animation makes all the difference. The aliens are bought to life, given personalities and faults and are able to communicate with the actors in a way that could actually be considered realistic. Most children will want to see this film just because one of its stars is Ashley Tisdale. She may have a very similar attitude towards the opposite sex in this film as she did in High School Musical, but there is no singing or dancing in her role as Bethany and her involvement with the aliens is confined to the last battle. Apart from Tisdale and TV star Jenkins, the rest of the teen cast are fairly unknown but do remarkably well in keeping your attention glued to the screen.
 
How would you cope in the face of an alien invasion? Well, the Pearson family certainly do a good job in ensuring that we don’t see any of E.T’s relatives in the distant future. Aliens in the Attic is a great family film to be enjoyed this summer.