"...relatively inoffensive, hell-raising fun in parts... it is fairly limited in the imagination stakes, delivering a menu of rather bland and old-hat scenarios seen in better films."

'Just what's in your attic' is not a quote from perm-a-tanned David Dickinson's TV show, but the concept behind this new kids-targeted film that ought to ignite the imagination of any film-maker with an array of CGI tools at their disposal. Add an invasion of extraterrestrial life forms amongst the attic junk, and we should be in line for a real family holiday treat. Not so in this case, sadly. Although Aliens in the Attic is relatively inoffensive, hell-raising fun in parts - well, not totally inoffensive as the drama-school-prepped kids' over-acting grates - it is fairly limited in the imagination stakes, delivering a menu of rather bland and old-hat scenarios seen in better films. --------

That said Aliens does have a kind of 'Scooby-Doo charm' to it, with the kids becoming the intrepid explorers, battling against the alien invaders and saving the day. It also has some amusing mind-control moments, provided by Robert Hoffman as the arrogant buffoon boyfriend, Ricky, of big sis Bethany, played by HSM 'queen bitch' Ashley Tisdale. Included, too, are some serious 'old-folks' jibes at anyone of US drinking age (21) or over, portrayed as a bunch of brainless, clueless and rather pointless killjoys. Kids definitely rule, here, which is meant to appeal to the younger audience. But even with the beautiful, bleached-blonde-haired brigade of young fitties, including Austin Butler and Tisdale, it is questionable whether there is enough appeal for youngsters to add this to their 'all-time favourite films' list.

As for the little green visitors from outer space, 'Gremlins: the 2009 batch' it is not. One fellow critic remarked that they looked like a cross between that irritating 'Crazy Frog and the bad guys from a Toilet Duck ad' (NOTW), which isn't a bad description, really. These vertically-challenged intruders seem to crash-land, escape from the attic, locate their basement device, and disappear all too quickly for us to really decide if we preferred watching their destructive antics, more than we did the kids'. In fact, this critic would have welcomed a little more alien screen-time, before they zoomed off. And yes, you've guessed it, some get left behind in the hope that a sequel will be made, so that they can ensure that they do more damage than the kids next time. --------

Without sounding like one of the brainless killjoys, how is it that the adults in the story can happily have a BBQ around the other side of the house with the local sheriff and not be alerted to the subsonic booms, falling trees, and super-sized chaos going on between their kids and other beings? Ah, yes, adults are all dumb, right? Still, one good thing comes out of all this: support your school nerd as they are the true, unsung hero in any situation. Indeed, that old moralistic chestnut comes rolling out to play that no kid is weird, just refreshingly 'different' to counter-act any current bullying at school. ---------

Go see Aliens if a pert, tanned Tisdale in a bikini grabs your attention (that's the third star in the rating...), but don't be disappointed; she's not nearly as gleefully bitchy as Sharpay in this, even if her boyfriend is a remote-controlled dork worthy of an ear-bashing or three. Also, if you're not a fan of change, and like no new surprises to your kids' films' action menu, then maybe this one's for you as it is entertaining. Unfortunately, even with gagmister Mark Burton (Wallace and Gromit) at the writing helm, there is still an important ingredient that's missing, and it doesn't take alien intelligence to work out what: originality, perhaps? -----

Synopsis ------

Aliens in the Attic, co-scripted by one of the writers of Madagascar and the Academy Award-winning Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit, is an adventure/comedy about kids on a family vacation who must fight off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-destroying ambitions while the youngsters' parents remain clueless about the battle. ------

Film Facts -----

Official site: http://www.aliensintheatticmovie.co.uk/

UK Release Date: 12th August 2009

Director: John Schultz

Writers: Mark Burton, David Stem, David N Weiss, Adam F. Goldberg, Melissa Stack

Cast: Robert Hoffman ('Ricky Dillman'), Ashley Tisdale ('Bethany Pearson'), Carter Jenkins ('Tom Pearson'), Austin Butler ('Jake Pearson'), Ashley Boettcher ('Hannah Pearson'), Henri Young ('Art Pearson'), Regan Young ('Lee Pearson'), Kevin Nealon ('Stuart Pearson'), Tim Meadows ('Sheriff Doug Armstrong'), Gillian Vigman ('Nina Pearson')

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Certificate: PG

Run-time: 86 mins

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