Planet 51 (2009)

Image credit: Ilion Animation Studios

FIRST CONTACT An earthman makes friends with the locals on Planet 51

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It takes only one look at the rigid, rubbery aliens in this sci-fi spoof to know that we aren't dealing with topflight computer animation here. But Planet 51 still delivers a few pleasant surprises, including a smart story — a reverse-E.T. riff that plops an American astronaut down in a world of just-like-us-only-green creatures — and clever characters, like a lovable NASA rover with canine programming. He's no WALL·E, but you'd have to be an alien yourself not to smile when he starts wagging his antenna like a robot beagle. B

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