Release Date:  November 20, 2009
Rating:  PG (for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor)
Genre:  Family/Sci-Fi/Comedy
Run Time:  90 min.
Directors:  Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad
Voices by:  Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott, John Cleese

Since we're approaching that time of year when critics start making those "best-of" lists, I think it's safe to say that most of what released in 2009 easily proves the adage that dates all the way back to Ecclesiastes 1:9—ultimately, that there's "nothing new under the sun."

While recycling old ideas was basically status quo, surprisingly enough, borrowing from other otherworldly space-age flicks including Stars Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. and Alien actually elevates Planet 51's overall enjoyment factor. 

Considering that the scriptwriters never really made the most of the somewhat original concept they started with, namely having aliens being deathly afraid of the humans (rather than the other way around), the sly references to far superior sci-fi fare prevent Planet 51 from being a total dud. In fact, it's sort of fun waiting to see what they'll spoof next.

But in a year where there's been so many alien adventures vying for our attention (see Monsters VS. Aliens, Race to Witch Mountain, Aliens in the Attic,  9 and more), there still needed to be something more compelling to really set Planet 51 apart.

With subpar storytelling and lackluster animation, not to mention a clear lack of enthusiasm from its celebrity vocal talent that includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jessica Biel and Gary Oldman, there's simply not enough here to make it a must-see.

Set in a decidedly 1950s-esque world populated with little green people with four-fingered hands, webbed feet and no noses, those living on Planet 51 often believe whatever they see at the local cineplex, namely that humans are always looking for a few good alien minds to control.

Then adding fuel to the fire, an actual living, breathing human shows up in his auto-piloted spaceship, a dim-witted, narcissistic astronaut named Chuck (voiced by Johnson, although I never would've known because he sounds so different). Even though he has no intention of harming anyone and comes across as nothing but friendly, what the green people see is nothing but one ugly creature intent on hurting their peaceful planet. So they start fleeing—immediately.