Planet 51 (U)

PIXAR, Dreamworks and the Ice Age lot have pretty much got family 'toons sewn up between them.

So why anyone else bothers trying is beyond me. Try they do, though, and Planet 51 is the latest attempt - this time by Spanish studio Ilion - to beat the masters at their own game.

Guess what? It doesn't even come close. Although given the three directors' track record of previous films (which is, ahem, none) it's a bit better than you might expect.

It's an alien invasion in reverse. Justin Long voices Lem, a going-nowhere teenager on a planet that's evolved to the level of 1950s USA.

Then an "alien" lands - ie a human - in the shape of Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Through the usual plot-shoehorning, Lem ends up hiding Chuck and has to get him back to his ship before the army, led by General Grawl (Gary Oldman) and Professor Kipple (John Cleese) take his brain out for science. Although given he's being played by The Rock, I hope you brought your microscope, fellas.

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.

There's a host of references to classic sci-fi too. ET, Terminator, Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey all get spoofed, with mixed results. And the animation's passable but nowhere near as good as Up.

If you loved Shrek, you'll think this is OK. Not what you'd call a resounding thumbs-up.

OUT FRIDAY

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