Any good UFO story is going to involve a good conspiracy theory, where the characters and audience try to unearth questions about what’s “really going on here.” Sometimes we get answers, sometimes we don’t – and after seeing Planet 51 I’m left with questions myself.  Mainly: who do they think this is for?

I know who it is for: kids.  It’s a cartoon after all, with a bunch of cute little aliens and likely a ton of promotional toys and other merchandise ready to hit the shelves.  And it’s a relatively harmless little movie that may keep kids busy for an hour and a half.  But will they like it?  Will they get it?

Planet 51 is set on a planet that very much resembles Earth in the 1950s.  Lem (Justin Long) is an assistant curator at the planetarium, set in a town that resembles Mayberry or Back to the Future’s Hill Valley.  He’s your typical movie shy guy, hoping to get ahead in his career and win the heart of the girl of his dreams (Jessica Biel). In a reverse-E.T. situation, a spaceship from our Earth lands in his town, and he needs to keep an astronaut hidden both to protect him and to and figure out how to get him back home.

When I say it resembles Earth in the 1950s, I mean it really does.  There are milkmen, barbers, suburban houses and bubblegum music (literally, they’re listening to the same songs us Earth-people did in the ‘50s.  Things like “Lollypop” and “Long Tall Sally.”).  It may very well be an environment you want your kids to see, but will they get it?  Can they understand the ‘50s vs. ‘00s culture clash?  Are the jokes about the ‘50s supposed to entertain the parents of these little kids?  You know—the ones who grew up in the ‘80s?  Even the makers of Back to the Future knew they had to move out of the ‘50s to sustain two more movies.

That probably wouldn’t have bugged me so much if there was any logical explanation as to why Planet 51 looks like Earth 1955.  It just kind of “is.”   

Yeah, it’s probably nitpicking to look for logic in a movie meant for little kids, but parents who sit through it need something.  Since they won’t relate to the 1950s humor, maybe they’ll like the voice work by 2009 celebrities?  Probably not.  Long and Biel don’t offer anything special, nor do great talents like Gary Oldman and John Cleese.

The guy who does deliver is Dwayne Johnson as astronaut Chuck Baker.  In his action movies and his wrestling career as The Rock, Johnson has been successful because he’s got the right physical presence combined with the self-awareness to know it’s all supposed to be fun.  He brings the same skills to his voice work as Chuck.  (It’s interesting to note that Chuck is your typical square-jawed, blonde, blue-eyed hero that you’d see in a 1950s action-adventure.  Johnson, who is half-African American and half-Samoan, still fills the bill.  It’s an interesting bit of casting that I almost feel guilty pointing out.  Everyone involved deserves credit for knowing it will work).

Adults and kids will probably laugh along with Chuck, and the kids might laugh at some of the slapstick thrown in.  None of it is particularly original though, which gives logic-minded adults opportunity to think about those unanswered questions: how is it everyone speaks English, all the signs are in English, yet no one can read the wrapper on Chuck’s Twix bar?          

And why is it called Planet 51?  If you see it, let me know.  I don’t think they told us.

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