They Came from Upstairs
Encyclopedia
Aliens in the Attic is a 2009 American family science fiction
comedy film
produced by 20th Century Fox
and Regency Enterprises
and starring Carter Jenkins
, Ashley Tisdale
, Robert Hoffman
, Henri Young, Regan Young and Austin Butler
. The plot revolves around the children in the Pearson family having to defend their vacation house. The film was previously titled They Came from Upstairs, which is instead used as the film's tag line. A video game of the same name was released as well.
In a comfortable Michigan suburb, Stuart Pearson (Kevin Nealon
) and his wife Nina (Gillian Vigman
) head a family that includes adorable seven-year-old Hannah (Ashley Boettcher); 15-year-old Tom (Carter Jenkins
), a techno-geek whose grades have gone south; and older sister Bethany (Ashley Tisdale
), who's just returned from a secret outing with boyfriend Ricky Dillman (Robert Hoffman
). Deciding the family needs some good old-fashioned togetherness, Stuart packs up the clan and heads to a three-story holiday house in the middle of nowhere. Joining them is Uncle Nate (Andy Richter
), Nate's son Jake (Austin Butler
), Nana Rose (Doris Roberts
), and identical 11-year-old twins Art (Henri Young
) and Lee (Regan Young). An unexpected arrival is Ricky, who wrangles an overnight visit with the extended family.
As day turns to night, dark storm clouds start swirling around the house. Suddenly, four glowing objects shoot toward the roof. The alien crew inside the objects is made up of Skip (J. K. Simmons
), the tough commander, Tazer (Kari Wahlgren
), a muscle-bound dude armed to the teeth, Razor (Thomas Haden Church
), a lethal female alien soldier; and Sparks (Josh Peck
), a four-armed techie, who is the only non-threatening alien intruder. Ricky and Tom are sent to fix the satellite for the TV because the aliens crashed into it. Ricky then reveals to Tom that he lied about everything he said to his family, like his car broke down, his parents own a lake house, he's 18. Ricky is actually in college, and he's at least five years older than Bethany. Ricky reveals to Tom that he's merely playing his father so that he can get whatever he wants. Both Jake and Tom are sent up, but find the satellite is beyond repair, because the entire thing has been demolished. Investigating the problem, they find what has caused this: aliens. Skip tries to lull Tom and Jake into a false sense of security, but fails when he is unable to state even the more simple human terms. Ricky is placed under the control of the aliens, courtesy of a high-tech mind-control device and plug implanted into the base of his skull; Ricky's mind and actions now belong to the alien crew. The aliens, called "Zirkonians", via Ricky, lay claim to the planet (when asked why they didn't just say it themselves Skip responds, "This way is more fun.") Like a puppet/robot/zombie, Ricky moves towards the boys - but Tom and Jake break free.
It isn't long before all five kids see the strange new arrivals. Tom takes charge and the kids come to realize the alien mind control device only works on grownups, giving them a fighting chance against the invaders, and the responsibility to protect the adults by keeping the aliens' existence a secret. Left to their own devices, the kids unleash their imaginations, creating makeshift weapons, like piping ingeniously rigged as a home made potato spud gun. They even learn to use the mind controller. Their first order of business is to take control of Ricky and turn his actions against himself and the aliens.
The adults remain oblivious to the alien presence, and insist that the youngsters partake in a fishing expedition. Meanwhile, a friendship is struck between Hannah and Sparks, the friendly alien with four arms and hands. Unlike his alien cohorts, Sparks has no stomach for battle; he just wants to return home to his own Zirkonian family. As the aliens attack for their mission to invade, Their actions begin to raise the DEFCON
level of the kids & pushes them towards the retaliation that will start the Galactic War. Meanwhile, trying to destroy the aliens Jake gets captured by the Zirkonians and is tied up and dragged into the basement. Nana Rose comes under the control of the alien mind control device, which gives her super-human strength and agility. Under the control of the kids, she comes to their rescue and has to fight off Ricky, who is again under alien control. Nana gives Ricky a huge jolt causing the alien plug to dislodge and Ricky breaks up with Bethany because in his opinion she talks about feelings and family all the time. The kids reveal to Bethany what's going on, and Sparks helps by making weapons so the kids can fight on, The aliens close in & force the levels of defense to DEFCON 1. Sparks reveals that what the aliens want from their planet is a device under the basement which makes them giant. After rescuing Jake, the kids defeat Skip, Tazer, and Razor. Sparks calls off the invasion and returns home. The rest of the vacation goes back to normal, except the kids grew closer to each other during their adventure.In the credits scene,Bethany with Tom takes revenge on Ricky by fooling him in front of a girl,Bethany comments "I am so keeping this"
Voices
and Adam F. Goldberg. The film is co-financed by Fox and Regency while being distributed by Fox. Fox snapped up the script in March 2006. Marc Resteghini was overseeing for Fox while Kara Francis Smith shepherds for Regency. Barry Josephson
was confirmed as the main producer while Thor Freudenthal
was hired to direct principal production. The principal production began in March, 2007. The film was originally titled They Came from Upstairs but later changed to Aliens in the Attic while the first title is instead used as the film's tag line. Ashley Tisdale's involvement in the film was confirmed in January 2008 as she was cast as Bethany Pearson. Robert Hoffman
, Carter Jenkins
and Austin Butler
were later cast in the film. Doris Roberts
was signed on to the film in February 2008. MTV
confirmed that Josh Peck
joined the cast as the voice of the alien Sparks. John Debney
composed the original score for the film. Tisdale recorded a song titled "Switch" for the film, which is also included in her second album, Guilty Pleasure. The original motion picture soundtrack was released on August 18, 2009.
began at the end of January 2008 in Auckland
, New Zealand
. Auckland-based production company New Upstairs Productions said filming would run for 30–40 days from January 28 to April 18, 2008 with no filming in weekends. The film was set in a rambling old villa transported from Remuera to a farm in North Auckland. The main set was an old manor and they spent $700,000 restoring the house. The main shooting ended in mid-March 2008. Tisdale, Butler and Jenkins went back to the set to shoot last-minutes scenes for the film on April 2009.
and Malaysia; July 31, 2009 in United States
, Canada
, and Bulgaria
; August 12 in the United Kingdom
; September 3, 2009 in Australia. The film's original release date was in January 2009 but it was pushed back for unknown reasons. The UK release also coincided with a charity auction for Save The Children
which teamed up with eBay
and 20th Century Fox
where various celebrities, including several actors from the movie, sold items from their attic
s to raise money for the charity.
based on 69 reviews with 48 being negative, with the consensus stating "Inoffensive and kid-friendly, this mundane family comedy is light on imagination."
Entertainment Weekly
described the film as "a pointless and harmless family adventure that doesn't mentally assault the 12-and-over set and looks like a lot of fun", while San Francisco Chronicle
has described the movie as being unoriginal and crowd pleasing.
Variety
stated the film doubtless would appeal primarily to a more narrow demographic of tweens and pre-teens and despite Tisdale's presence, it’s difficult to imagine many ticket buyers between the ages of 12 and 18 while The New York Times
described Jenkins and Butler as the actors with more personality and Hoffman as the actor who provides the film’s occasional funny moments.
The Los Angeles Times said the film is "an enjoyable kid-friendly film but not an out-of-this-world classic" and also mentioned the film belonged to Hoffman and Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
said the director John Schultz played everything for laughs and earns a more than a few but tech effects deliver a fair number of those laughs and described the film as an "amusing family comedy". Radio Times
gave the film a three out of five stars rating, saying that the film is "a thrilling children's yarn with enough pop-culture references to hold grown-ups' interest".
The Dove Foundation praised the film, saying it is "one of those movies that you find to be better than anticipated" and also said the film draws on realism in family dynamics. Lara Martin of Digital Spy
described the film as a "kid-friendly mix of Men In Black crossed with Gremlins with a healthy dose of Home Alone-style violence" and also mentioned that one of the biggest disappointments in the movie is the lack of screen time given to Tisdale, billed as one of the leading actors and concluded saying it seems "a bizarre and sad waste of her obvious comedic talent". However, The Miami Herald
gave a mixed to negative review, saying the film is a "children's movie mix of live-action and animation, it has a few positive messages, a few laughs and a few comic throwdowns".
, US $10 million in United Kingdom
, and a total of US$57 million worldwide total.
, Wii
, PlayStation 2
and Windows PC. The game also offers players two different gameplay perspectives depending upon which video game platform players choose. For Wii, PlayStation 2 and Windows PC players, the game allows players to assume the identity of one of four different alien explorers, featuring fifteen levels. For Nintendo DS, the game puts players in the shoes of the film's main characters and you play with their abilities to rid the planet from the invaders.
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and Regency Enterprises
Regency Enterprises
Regency Enterprises is a Los Angeles-based film and television production company formed by Arnon Milchan and Joseph P. Grace. It was founded in 1982 as Embassy International Pictures, but the company name changed to avoid confusion with Norman Lear's Embassy Pictures . Its most successful film is...
and starring Carter Jenkins
Carter Jenkins
-Career:Jenkins began performing in community theatre, and then on local and national commercials. He has starred in television shows such as Surface, Viva Laughlin, CSI: Miami, House, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and Unfabulous along with feature films Aliens in the Attic, Bad...
, Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
, Robert Hoffman
Robert Hoffman (actor)
Robert James Hoffman III is an American actor, dancer and choreographer.- Personal life :Robert James Hoffman III was born in Gainesville, Florida, the son of Charlotte and Robert Hoffman II, and moved with his family to Madison, Alabama when he was seven. He has one younger brother, Chris, and...
, Henri Young, Regan Young and Austin Butler
Austin Butler
Austin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,...
. The plot revolves around the children in the Pearson family having to defend their vacation house. The film was previously titled They Came from Upstairs, which is instead used as the film's tag line. A video game of the same name was released as well.
Plot
The film opens as a meteor shower rockets across the dark galaxy. Four glowing pods sparkle and crackle while hiding behind the meteor shower. A mysterious force (that was left unidentified) makes the meteor shower turn a hard right towards a bright blue ball in the distance - planet Earth.In a comfortable Michigan suburb, Stuart Pearson (Kevin Nealon
Kevin Nealon
Kevin Nealon is an American actor and comedian, best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, acting in several of the Happy Madison films, for playing Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and providing the voice of the title character, Glenn Martin on Glenn Martin,...
) and his wife Nina (Gillian Vigman
Gillian Vigman
Gillian Vigman is an American comic actress. Vigman is most notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv. She also starred in the ABC comedy, Sons & Daughters. Vigman plays a supporting role on The Defenders.-Biography:Vigman started her professional...
) head a family that includes adorable seven-year-old Hannah (Ashley Boettcher); 15-year-old Tom (Carter Jenkins
Carter Jenkins
-Career:Jenkins began performing in community theatre, and then on local and national commercials. He has starred in television shows such as Surface, Viva Laughlin, CSI: Miami, House, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and Unfabulous along with feature films Aliens in the Attic, Bad...
), a techno-geek whose grades have gone south; and older sister Bethany (Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
), who's just returned from a secret outing with boyfriend Ricky Dillman (Robert Hoffman
Robert Hoffman
Robert K. Hoffman was an American businessperson and philanthropist, most notable for co-founding the influential humor magazine National Lampoon.Born in Dallas, Texas, Hoffman graduated from the St. Mark's School of Texas in 1965...
). Deciding the family needs some good old-fashioned togetherness, Stuart packs up the clan and heads to a three-story holiday house in the middle of nowhere. Joining them is Uncle Nate (Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
), Nate's son Jake (Austin Butler
Austin Butler
Austin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,...
), Nana Rose (Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
), and identical 11-year-old twins Art (Henri Young
Henri Young
Henri Theodore Young was a prisoner at Alcatraz who attempted to escape with two other inmates, Arthur Barker and Rufus McCain and is best known for being the main character in the movie Murder in the First....
) and Lee (Regan Young). An unexpected arrival is Ricky, who wrangles an overnight visit with the extended family.
As day turns to night, dark storm clouds start swirling around the house. Suddenly, four glowing objects shoot toward the roof. The alien crew inside the objects is made up of Skip (J. K. Simmons
J. K. Simmons
Jonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
), the tough commander, Tazer (Kari Wahlgren
Kari Wahlgren
Kari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
), a muscle-bound dude armed to the teeth, Razor (Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
), a lethal female alien soldier; and Sparks (Josh Peck
Josh Peck
Joshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
), a four-armed techie, who is the only non-threatening alien intruder. Ricky and Tom are sent to fix the satellite for the TV because the aliens crashed into it. Ricky then reveals to Tom that he lied about everything he said to his family, like his car broke down, his parents own a lake house, he's 18. Ricky is actually in college, and he's at least five years older than Bethany. Ricky reveals to Tom that he's merely playing his father so that he can get whatever he wants. Both Jake and Tom are sent up, but find the satellite is beyond repair, because the entire thing has been demolished. Investigating the problem, they find what has caused this: aliens. Skip tries to lull Tom and Jake into a false sense of security, but fails when he is unable to state even the more simple human terms. Ricky is placed under the control of the aliens, courtesy of a high-tech mind-control device and plug implanted into the base of his skull; Ricky's mind and actions now belong to the alien crew. The aliens, called "Zirkonians", via Ricky, lay claim to the planet (when asked why they didn't just say it themselves Skip responds, "This way is more fun.") Like a puppet/robot/zombie, Ricky moves towards the boys - but Tom and Jake break free.
It isn't long before all five kids see the strange new arrivals. Tom takes charge and the kids come to realize the alien mind control device only works on grownups, giving them a fighting chance against the invaders, and the responsibility to protect the adults by keeping the aliens' existence a secret. Left to their own devices, the kids unleash their imaginations, creating makeshift weapons, like piping ingeniously rigged as a home made potato spud gun. They even learn to use the mind controller. Their first order of business is to take control of Ricky and turn his actions against himself and the aliens.
The adults remain oblivious to the alien presence, and insist that the youngsters partake in a fishing expedition. Meanwhile, a friendship is struck between Hannah and Sparks, the friendly alien with four arms and hands. Unlike his alien cohorts, Sparks has no stomach for battle; he just wants to return home to his own Zirkonian family. As the aliens attack for their mission to invade, Their actions begin to raise the DEFCON
DEFCON
A defense readiness condition is an alert posture used by the United States Armed Forces. The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and unified and specified combatant commands. It prescribes five graduated levels of readiness for the U.S...
level of the kids & pushes them towards the retaliation that will start the Galactic War. Meanwhile, trying to destroy the aliens Jake gets captured by the Zirkonians and is tied up and dragged into the basement. Nana Rose comes under the control of the alien mind control device, which gives her super-human strength and agility. Under the control of the kids, she comes to their rescue and has to fight off Ricky, who is again under alien control. Nana gives Ricky a huge jolt causing the alien plug to dislodge and Ricky breaks up with Bethany because in his opinion she talks about feelings and family all the time. The kids reveal to Bethany what's going on, and Sparks helps by making weapons so the kids can fight on, The aliens close in & force the levels of defense to DEFCON 1. Sparks reveals that what the aliens want from their planet is a device under the basement which makes them giant. After rescuing Jake, the kids defeat Skip, Tazer, and Razor. Sparks calls off the invasion and returns home. The rest of the vacation goes back to normal, except the kids grew closer to each other during their adventure.In the credits scene,Bethany with Tom takes revenge on Ricky by fooling him in front of a girl,Bethany comments "I am so keeping this"
Cast
- Carter JenkinsCarter Jenkins-Career:Jenkins began performing in community theatre, and then on local and national commercials. He has starred in television shows such as Surface, Viva Laughlin, CSI: Miami, House, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and Unfabulous along with feature films Aliens in the Attic, Bad...
as Tom Pearson - Ashley TisdaleAshley TisdaleAshley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
as Bethany Pearson - Austin ButlerAustin ButlerAustin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,...
as Jake Pearson - Robert HofmanRobert Hoffman (actor)Robert James Hoffman III is an American actor, dancer and choreographer.- Personal life :Robert James Hoffman III was born in Gainesville, Florida, the son of Charlotte and Robert Hoffman II, and moved with his family to Madison, Alabama when he was seven. He has one younger brother, Chris, and...
as Ricky Dillman - Kevin NealonKevin NealonKevin Nealon is an American actor and comedian, best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, acting in several of the Happy Madison films, for playing Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and providing the voice of the title character, Glenn Martin on Glenn Martin,...
as Stuart Pearson - Doris RobertsDoris RobertsDoris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
as Nana Pearson - Tim Meadows as Sheriff Doug Armstrong
- Gillian VigmanGillian VigmanGillian Vigman is an American comic actress. Vigman is most notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv. She also starred in the ABC comedy, Sons & Daughters. Vigman plays a supporting role on The Defenders.-Biography:Vigman started her professional...
as Nina Pearson - Henri YoungHenri YoungHenri Theodore Young was a prisoner at Alcatraz who attempted to escape with two other inmates, Arthur Barker and Rufus McCain and is best known for being the main character in the movie Murder in the First....
as Art Pearson - Regan Young as Lee Pearson
- Ashley Boettcher as Hannah Pearson
- Andy RichterAndy RichterPaul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
as Nathan Pearson - Malese JowMalese JowMalese Jow is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for playing Geena Fabiano, a girl interested in fashion and designing her own clothes on the Nickelodeon television teen sitcom Unfabulous, and Anna, a teenage vampire on The CW television teen drama The Vampire...
as Julie - Megan Parker as Brooke
Voices
- Josh PeckJosh PeckJoshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
as Sparks - J. K. SimmonsJ. K. SimmonsJonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
as Skip - Kari WahlgrenKari WahlgrenKari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
as Tazer - Thomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
as Razor - Ashley PeldonAshley PeldonAshley Peldon is an American television and film actress.-Early life and career:Peldon was born in New York City, New York. Along with her sister Courtney, she worked as a child actor....
as Additional voices
Development
The script was written by Mark BurtonMark Burton
Richard Mark Burton is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Defence; Minister of Justice; Minister of Local Government; Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations; Deputy Leader of the House; and the Minister Responsible for the Law...
and Adam F. Goldberg. The film is co-financed by Fox and Regency while being distributed by Fox. Fox snapped up the script in March 2006. Marc Resteghini was overseeing for Fox while Kara Francis Smith shepherds for Regency. Barry Josephson
Barry Josephson
Barry Josephson is an American film producer and former music manager.Josephson graduated from American University, Washington DC in 1978 and is an active member of the SOC Alumni program. In 1991, Josephson was the Vice President of Production for Columbia Pictures and remained at the studio...
was confirmed as the main producer while Thor Freudenthal
Thor Freudenthal
Thor Freudenthal is a German director and screenwriter who generally works in film.Freudenthal was born and raised in West Berlin, West Germany. He attended the Berlin Academy of Arts, and later moved to Southern California as an exchange student at CalArts. He started out as an animation director...
was hired to direct principal production. The principal production began in March, 2007. The film was originally titled They Came from Upstairs but later changed to Aliens in the Attic while the first title is instead used as the film's tag line. Ashley Tisdale's involvement in the film was confirmed in January 2008 as she was cast as Bethany Pearson. Robert Hoffman
Robert Hoffman (actor)
Robert James Hoffman III is an American actor, dancer and choreographer.- Personal life :Robert James Hoffman III was born in Gainesville, Florida, the son of Charlotte and Robert Hoffman II, and moved with his family to Madison, Alabama when he was seven. He has one younger brother, Chris, and...
, Carter Jenkins
Carter Jenkins
-Career:Jenkins began performing in community theatre, and then on local and national commercials. He has starred in television shows such as Surface, Viva Laughlin, CSI: Miami, House, CSI: NY, Without a Trace, The Bernie Mac Show, and Unfabulous along with feature films Aliens in the Attic, Bad...
and Austin Butler
Austin Butler
Austin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,...
were later cast in the film. Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
was signed on to the film in February 2008. MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
confirmed that Josh Peck
Josh Peck
Joshua Michael "Josh" Peck is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor best known for playing Josh Nichols in the Nickelodeon live-action sitcom Drake & Josh. He began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on...
joined the cast as the voice of the alien Sparks. John Debney
John Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
composed the original score for the film. Tisdale recorded a song titled "Switch" for the film, which is also included in her second album, Guilty Pleasure. The original motion picture soundtrack was released on August 18, 2009.
Filming
Principal photographyPrincipal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began at the end of January 2008 in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Auckland-based production company New Upstairs Productions said filming would run for 30–40 days from January 28 to April 18, 2008 with no filming in weekends. The film was set in a rambling old villa transported from Remuera to a farm in North Auckland. The main set was an old manor and they spent $700,000 restoring the house. The main shooting ended in mid-March 2008. Tisdale, Butler and Jenkins went back to the set to shoot last-minutes scenes for the film on April 2009.
Release
The film was released on July 30, 2009, in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Malaysia; July 31, 2009 in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
; August 12 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; September 3, 2009 in Australia. The film's original release date was in January 2009 but it was pushed back for unknown reasons. The UK release also coincided with a charity auction for Save The Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
which teamed up with eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
and 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
where various celebrities, including several actors from the movie, sold items from their attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
s to raise money for the charity.
Critical reception
The film has received mixed reviews from critics; as of August 25, 2011, the film holds a 30% "rotten" rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
based on 69 reviews with 48 being negative, with the consensus stating "Inoffensive and kid-friendly, this mundane family comedy is light on imagination."
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
described the film as "a pointless and harmless family adventure that doesn't mentally assault the 12-and-over set and looks like a lot of fun", while San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
has described the movie as being unoriginal and crowd pleasing.
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
stated the film doubtless would appeal primarily to a more narrow demographic of tweens and pre-teens and despite Tisdale's presence, it’s difficult to imagine many ticket buyers between the ages of 12 and 18 while The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described Jenkins and Butler as the actors with more personality and Hoffman as the actor who provides the film’s occasional funny moments.
The Los Angeles Times said the film is "an enjoyable kid-friendly film but not an out-of-this-world classic" and also mentioned the film belonged to Hoffman and Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said the director John Schultz played everything for laughs and earns a more than a few but tech effects deliver a fair number of those laughs and described the film as an "amusing family comedy". Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
gave the film a three out of five stars rating, saying that the film is "a thrilling children's yarn with enough pop-culture references to hold grown-ups' interest".
The Dove Foundation praised the film, saying it is "one of those movies that you find to be better than anticipated" and also said the film draws on realism in family dynamics. Lara Martin of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
described the film as a "kid-friendly mix of Men In Black crossed with Gremlins with a healthy dose of Home Alone-style violence" and also mentioned that one of the biggest disappointments in the movie is the lack of screen time given to Tisdale, billed as one of the leading actors and concluded saying it seems "a bizarre and sad waste of her obvious comedic talent". However, The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
gave a mixed to negative review, saying the film is a "children's movie mix of live-action and animation, it has a few positive messages, a few laughs and a few comic throwdowns".
Box office
In the US, the film was distributed by 3,106 theaters, but grossed a disappointing $2.9 million on its first day, and $8 million its opening weekend, resulting in #5 in the box office. The film has grossed the equivalent of US $1.3 million in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, US $10 million in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and a total of US$57 million worldwide total.
Awards and nominations
- 2009 Teen Choice AwardsTeen Choice AwardsThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
- Movie Star: Female - Ashley Tisdale (Nomination)
- 2010 Young Artist Awards
- Young Ensemble Cast: Megan Parker, Henri Young, Regan Young, Austin Robert Butler, Carter Jenkins (Nomination)
Video game
A video game based on the film was released August 4, 2009, developed by Revistronic and published by Playlogic. The game features the storyline of the film and is available for Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Windows PC. The game also offers players two different gameplay perspectives depending upon which video game platform players choose. For Wii, PlayStation 2 and Windows PC players, the game allows players to assume the identity of one of four different alien explorers, featuring fifteen levels. For Nintendo DS, the game puts players in the shoes of the film's main characters and you play with their abilities to rid the planet from the invaders.