‘Planet 51′ Trailer Show’s the Fun Side of Alien Invasions

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 2, 2009

Another entry into the marketplace of animated films for 2009, rookie director Jorge Blanco’s Planet 51 already has a few things going against it — at least from a marketability standpoint. For one, it is not associated with either Dreamworks or Pixar, the only two studios who seem to be able to make CG-animated features into box office successes. Secondly, it is one of about 90 science fiction films coming out this year that involve humans as aggressors on an alien planet — the highest profile of which is James Cameron’s Avatar.

But in fairness to Planet 51, a film led by the vocal talents of Dwayne Johnson, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Jessica Biel and John Cleese, this second theatrical trailer is a lot of fun. A little space nerdiness courtesy of the nods to the American astronaut bravado, a little bit of cute robot action (can’t help but love that rover) and some potentially funny mix-up bits about the role reversal of having this macho American end up as the “alien” all hit their beats quite well in the first trailer. As well, the soundtrack screams fun and the animation is smooth and vibrant — enough to keep this movie on my radar for a little while.

Planet 51 hits theaters on November 20, 2009. Check out the second theatrical trailer below, courtesy of Yahoo Movies.

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