Product Details

• Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click .
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: March 9, 2010
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001PR0YEE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,099 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Planet 51" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

What if there are creatures living on other planets in other galaxies? And what if those creatures are a lot like us? When American astronaut Chuck Baker (Dwayne Johnson) lands on what's supposed to be barren, rocky planet devoid of life, he gets a big surprise. It seems that Planet 51 is home to little green people who are living in what's basically 1950s Americana--or should that be 1950s Alieana? Chuck bears a marked resemblance to Planet 51's science-fiction comic book and horror movie characters the "Humaniacs," and hysteria breaks out because the little green men think his appearance marks the beginning of an alien invasion. Lem (Justin Long) is a junior curator at the local planetarium and one of the only people on the planet who is awed, rather than frightened, by the concept of a larger universe. While his fellow citizens set out to capture the invading alien, Lem believes Chuck when he declares that his mission is peaceful, and Lem risks his own safety to help him return to his ship and his home planet. With a little help from Rover (an American robot probe that has been sending rock samples back to Earth while ignoring the planet's life forms), Lem's neighbor and secret crush Neera (Jessica Biel), his friend Skiff (Seann William Scott), and hippie protester Glar (Alan Marriott), Lem just might be able to save Chuck. The question is--what will the personal consequences be for Lem? The story is an amusing twist on America's long-standing fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and the film has plenty of comic moments, but it ultimately lacks suspense and fails to truly engage the viewer. The result is a film that provides some laughs but is ultimately not that entertaining. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Product Description

When Chuck the astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) lands on a distant planet filled with little green people, he is surprised to discover that we are not alone in the galaxy. But he gets the shock of his life when the residents of Planet 51 mistakenly believe that his presence is the start of an alien invasion of the human kind! Luckily, Lem (Justin Long) quickly realizes that Chuck is friendly and makes it his personal mission to help him return safely to his ship.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated gem...too subtle for some? February 7, 2010

By JHD

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

'Planet 51' was the last thing showing at our local theatre that I hadn't already seen. The previews and lobby displays (mis)led me to believe it was just another throwaway kids' cartoon, full of forced cuteness, predictable gags, and cardboard characters; but I had time to kill and the ticket was at matinee price, so I finally went in. Am I ever glad I did!

The obvious send-up of 1950s American culture is fun, and so is the shoe-on-the-other-foot twist of the human being viewed as the fearful alien menace, but if that's all a viewer takes away, he or she is missing a lot. There was plenty of unexpected satire that had me laughing out loud through much of the film. There is also a profound message that centering one's society around perpetual fear can cause more harm to a culture's core values than the thing being feared; however, the message very carefully doesn't get in the way of the humanity (alienity?) of the story.

The music was well done and really enhanced the fun. Visually, I loved the film. Character design wasn't anything particularly special, but the look of the planet itself was gorgeous. This is a cartoon, after all, not an overblown CGI extravanganza like Avatar, so you shouldn't expect photorealistic rendering of every tiny detail. The beauty of this kind of artwork is in the imaginative forms and colors, the simplicity of shapes and lines that enhance the story, not overwhelm it.

Actually, having brought the subject up, I suppose many comparisons and contrasts could be drawn that make Planet 51 a kind of Anti-Avatar. Here, the humans are neither conquering villains, nor paternalistic hero figures. People--er, beings--from both sides have to do their part on Planet 51 to bridge the misunderstanding of cultures and enable goodwill to prevail. That may not be the kind of dramatic plot it takes to engage some viewers' attention these days, yet it's exactly the sort of solid but gentle storytelling one should expect from the offspring of George Harrison's Handmade Films.

Plus, so far as I can tell, no one has yet suffered depression after viewing Planet 51. :)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, thought-provoking, and underappreciated June 3, 2011

By Lin Pracht

Format:DVD

My six year old son laughed throughout this movie. Tons of song and movie references (everything from Singing in the Rain to Alien) kept the adults interested, too. I was really surprised that a movie rated as having 'minor violence' actually opened with [story-within-a-story] footage of ray guns disintegrating people, but it didn't turn out too violent for us as a whole. I would think twice before showing it to a younger or more sensitive kid, though.

I think this movie is really underappreciated. It didn't have the most spectacular graphics ever, and the love story was admittedly predictable, but the altered perspective - humans as aliens! - was compelling, and the cultural references made for non-stop amusement. The adorable Rover alone would be enough reason to watch it again.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Family Fun!!! January 28, 2010

By Pumpkin Man

Format:DVD

I really liked this movie. It had an awesome storyline. I loved that it was set during the 1950's on Planet 51, but is modern day on Earth, because I really enjoy 50's pop culture. Lem is an 'alien' who thinks that the Galaxy is only 500 miles long. On a typical day, an astronaut named Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker lands on the planet and thinks he's the first, but he was dead wrong. All the residents believe Chuck is an alien who wants to eat their brains and turn them into zombies. Lem befriends Chuck and finds out that he's a good guy. The military take over Chuck's ship so they can dissect it. If Chuck doesn't get back to his ship in time, he will never be able to return to Earth. I highly recommend PLANET 51!!!