Planet 51 Movie Trailer
MPAA Rating: PG, for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humorGenre: Animated/Comedy
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, John Cleese
Studio: TriStar Pictures (Sony)
Director: Jorge Blanco
Release Date: November 20, 2009
Planet 51 - Official Synopsis
Planet 51 is a galactic sized animated alien adventure comedy revolving around American astronaut Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker, who lands on Planet 51 thinking he's the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world reminiscent of a cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders...like Chuck! With the help of his robot companion "Rover" and his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the dazzling, but bewildering, landscape of Planet 51 in order to escape becoming a permanent part of the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum.
Planet 51 - Fun Facts for Kids
It is said that humans have a fear of the unknown -- and that is undoubtedly true -- but we also have a strong curiosity about and infatuation with the unknown. The great thing about the unknown frontier of outer space is that, since we don't fully know what's out there beyond a certain point, we can fill that space with our imaginations. I love the creative take on space that Planet 51 presents. We don't often see ourselves as the aliens, and the concept is both funny and a bit unsettling.
Most kids' movies involving outer space focus more on imagination and less on accuracy. Yet despite the fact that such movies are totally unrealistic, they often inspire kids to want to learn about space and what we really do know about other planets. Here are some great online resources where kids can explore space facts and play educational space-related games:
Of course, there are also a plethora of great books about space (both fiction and non-fiction). Nick Greene, About.com's guide to space, has listed a few for us: Top 10 Space Books for Kids and Top 10 Astronomy Books for Kids.