Aliens in the Attic

Perhaps the most perplexing thing about Aliens in the Attic - a zany children's romp through wish fulfilment territory - is just how devoid of thought and originality it is. Sure, it isn't exactly surprising that a movie about tweens finding miniature aliens in their vacation house caters to broad stereotypes with every contrivance imaginable while negating basic logic, but there isn't even a hidden message of staying true to oneself or respecting authority within. Essentially, we have a teen boy named Tom (Carter Jenkins) struggling with popularity, while his dippy older sister Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) finds ease in socialization, dating a college boy (played awkwardly by Ricky Dillman). A forced family vacation with clueless parents Stuart and Nina (Kevin Nealon and Gillian Vigman) takes them away from their technology-reliant life to a cottage where they wage battle against miniature aliens bent on taking over the world, unbeknownst to the adults around them. Some cousins are involved, as is a typically goofy Andy Richter and a kung-fu fighting Doris Roberts, but mostly it's CGI spacemen using body-control contraptions and gravity-defying technology, much to the amazement of the children, and audience. While patronizing and even a little terrifying in its blasé handling of all things cognitive, this is a harmless lark that youngsters will surely find minor amusement with, despite it being almost immediately forgettable. In its simplest terms, Aliens in the Attic understands that there are few kids that wouldn't love to have a remote control to command the adults around them, which is at least something. Included with the DVD are a series of intros from High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale, along with an extended, and somewhat illogical, alternate ending and featurettes on the aliens and "making of." There is also a 15-minute "origin story" for the inter-planetary Zirkonians, done in comic book-style, which seems like it was written while drunk, which goes well with a gag reel of child actors being goofy.