Escape from planet earth12/14/2023 ![]() ![]() A couple of scenes at a 7-Eleven transcend product placement, using retail iconography for giggles, while two goofballs (Steve Zahn and Chris Parnell) make friendly contact with the visitors. The filmmakers use the terrestrial setting - specifically, the American desert - for glancing commentary on human folly amid the pop-culture nostalgia. The brothers’ conflict moves to the Dark Planet, a place otherwise known as Earth, after their spiteful boss (Jessica Alba) concocts a seemingly doomed mission. Gary’s son - a cutie of a hero in his own right voiced by Jonathan Morgan Heit - idolizes Scorch but will, of course, learn that his geeky dad is just as cool. On Planet Baab, where blue-skinned people have expressive eyes, two high achievers are bent on out-achieving each other: astronaut Scorch Supernova (Fraser), a fearless self-promoter with more than a touch of Buzz Lightyear in his action-hero makeup, and his older but smaller brother, Mission Control engineer Gary (Corddry), who’s married to a former test pilot (Parker). At the core is a classic case of brotherly love posing as sibling rivalry. The film slipped into theaters Thursday, without advance screenings for press, in both 2-D and 3-D versions the extra dimension is serviceable but hardly crucial.ĭirected by storyboard artist-turned-helmer Callan Brunker from a screenplay he co-wrote with Bob Barlen, the movie takes a while to hit its stride. For grown-ups with little ones, it’s a painless entertainment with a fair share of laughs. Ricky Gervais is on hand, too, as a flippant descendant of HAL 9000. Feel-good but not cloying, zippy but not frenetic, and refreshingly free of snark, the default setting for a lot of kids’ fare these days, the feature takes a pleasingly retro-futuristic stance on matters of décor and attitude.įueling the ride is an outstanding voice cast that includes Rob Corddry, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sofia Vergara and, in irresistibly hammy villain mode, William Shatner. The extras include a commentary track, fully animated deleted and alternate scenes, two “Making of” featurettes, and a music video.“Escape From Planet Earth” - an animated adventure that’s more down-to-earth than earth-shattering - builds a family-friendly sci-fi constellation out of fresh chuckles and recycled parts, a number of them from Planet Pixar. But the overall mix is well-balanced and never sounds thin. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is clean and crisp, but lacks the last bit of punch, dynamics, and deep bass that distinguish the best-animated soundtracks. Those with 2.35:1 screens (including me) will appreciate that. Interestingly, the 2D disc in this set is 2.39:1, while the 3D is 1.85:1. The 3D is also superb-including pop-out effects-but the brighter 2D will be more impressive overall on anything short of the brightest 3D displays. The 2D transfer is flawless and beautifully detailed. While it lacks the textural refinement of Pixar and its major competitors, it’s clever, colorful, and beautifully rendered. The most impressive quality of this release is the computer animation. And science-fiction geeks who like their fiction leavened with a little science will also not be amused.įortunately, the film (an independent production from Rainmaker Entertainment and distributed by The Weinstein Company) is partially redeemed by good voice characterizations, including some I recognized immediately (Jane Lynch, of Glee and Wreck-it-Ralph) and some I didn’t (William Shatner, who had a small role in an obscure sci-fi franchise). Storywise, Escape from Planet Earth is slightly below the level of the similar Planet 51, with fewer chuckles than Hoodwinked. But unfortunately adult Earthlings, looking for the qualities in Pixar or DreamWorks productions that keep them amused while their kidlings giggle, will be disappointed. There’s even a video Gary calls up while researching the planned mission, explaining Earth’s dangerous and violent life forms.īut the bad-human, good-alien meme is easy to ignore and not heavy-handed. Yes, our heroes from BAAB are blue, and fall into the clutches of evil humans led by a maniacal general. ![]() If you haven’t already figured it out from the film’s title, the Dark Planet is Earth. But when Scorch gets captured on the Dark Planet and imprisoned in Area 51 along with other alien life forms, Gary comes to the rescue. ![]() Scorch takes the assignment anyway, and Gary refuses to help. But when the most hazardous mission of all comes up-to the Dark Planet from which no one has ever returned-Gary doesn’t want his brother to risk it. Escape from Planet Earth The film opens with Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser), an alien on a mission to rescue captured babies from the Gnarlachs. His specialty is keeping his lunkheaded brother Scorch, the planet’s superhero-astronaut, from getting himself killed on dangerous missions. Gary Supernova is an ace coordinator at Mission Control on the planet BAAB. ![]()
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