--- title: "Planet 51: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/planet-51/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/planet-51" critics_score: 51 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Planet 51 (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 51 from 10 reviews: 1 positive, 6 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics give Planet 51 a mixed but good-natured notice: an amiable children’s animation that raises laughs without leaving much behind. The praise clusters on the humour. Several reviews enjoy the broad slapstick and the steady run of in-jokes for film fans, and the setting’s playful resemblance to 1950s small-town America is generally found a pleasing idea. Empire is the one outright admirer, calling it fun and charming for all its lack of big-studio polish. The reservations cluster on originality. Most reviews note that the science-fiction references are recycled rather than reworked, and that the story and characters are too thin to carry a feature; The Guardian also complains the comedy runs out before the end. The spread is wide. Variety is the harshest, finding the film lame-brained and incurious about its own world, while most others settle for a shrug: pleasant enough for small children, not ambitious enough for anyone else. ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2009. Newman finds the film fun and funny, with considerable charm despite lacking the polish of bigger-budget animations. He praises its broad humour and especially its neat, inspired comic touches. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/planet-51-review/) ## Screen Daily — John Hazelton Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2009. The page identifies this as a review, but the critic’s verdict is inaccessible. The available text does not reveal what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/planet-51/5008299.article) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 3/5. Staunton finds it a fun, sprightly animated adventure for children. He praises its frequent laughs and its playful resemblance to 1950s America. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-rphbyu/planet-51) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2009. Bradshaw finds the animation amiable and moderately funny, but says it loses comic momentum before the end. He particularly criticizes an anachronistic hippie protester in Joe Stillman’s script. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/dec/04/planet-51-film-review) ## Time Out — Derek Adams Rating 3/5. 1 December 2009. The three-star rating indicates a measured rather than enthusiastic verdict. The review text is unavailable, so its specific praise or complaint cannot be identified. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/planet-51) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2009. The capsule offers a mixed verdict on the animated sci-fi comedy. It singles out the film’s imaginative premise while finding its execution less successful. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-29-la-ca-list-movies29-2009nov29-story.html) ## Slant Magazine — Adam Keleman Rating 2/4. 19 November 2009. Keleman finds the film a weak, low-energy homage that never reaches the heights suggested by its animation. He criticizes its underdeveloped characters and says Chuck’s late moment of vulnerability comes too little, too late. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/planet-51/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2009. Honeycutt finds the film perky but derivative and not ambitious enough to entertain the whole family. He credits its swift action and slapstick gags, while criticizing its reliance on recycled science-fiction ideas and references. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/planet-51-film-review-93752/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2009. McCarthy finds the film lame-brained and frustratingly unoriginal. He faults its recycled sci-fi references and lack of curiosity about the worlds and characters at its center. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/planet-51-1200477435/) ## Den of Geek — Carley Tauchert Rating 2/5. 4 December 2009. The critic finds the film a disappointing, forgettable children’s movie that struggles to hold its audience. She praises its movie-fan in-jokes but faults the flimsy story and underwhelming animation. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/planet-51-review-2/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/planet-51.md