Aliens in the Attic *** (2009, Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler, Ashley Tisdale, Robert Hoffman, Tim Meadows, Doris Roberts) – Classic Movie Review 2001

The nice Pearson family head for a summer holiday in Creek Landing, Michigan, but get more than they bargain for when they have TV reception trouble. The teenage son Tom (Carter Jenkins) and his sister Bethany (Ashley Tisdale)’s arrogant boyfriend Ricky Dillman (Robert Hoffman) go to the attic and then to the roof to check the aerial. Tom and his cousin Jake (Austin Butler) find the antenna dish destroyed and four alien invaders preparing an invasion of the Earth!

Cue lots of daft laughs in a good-natured teen comedy that’s lots of fun, with neat little aliens and well-timed slapstick. Jenkins and Butler are excellent young heroes, Hoffman is funny as the noxious boyfriend who gets his funky comeuppance, Tim Meadows is funny too as the sheriff, and Doris Roberts is hilarious as the battling grannie taking on the aliens.

Mark Burton and Adam F Goldberg are to be commended for providing the continuously amusing situations and dialogue in a cute little movie that keeps up its level of inventiveness and momentum.

They planned to call it They Came From Upstairs, as early promotional materials show, before changing it to its witty present title. Filmed in the studio and on exteriors around Albany, Auckland, New Zealand. It was fairly costly at $45million, and took only $25million in the US and $57million total worldwide, so no alas Aliens in the Attic II has emerged. The £6.5million UK box office was very healthy though. It could have started a franchise.

It is the film debut of Austin Butler, born 17 August 1991.

Doris Roberts died on 17 April 2016, aged 90.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 2001

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/