When the Earth’s crust begins to rotate around its molten core causing worldwide devastation, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) bundles up his fractured family and attempts to follow the privileged and powerful to safety.
Modern childrens’ films often have a difficult time blending the colourful action necessary to hold the kids’ attention and the moral core essential to make their parents happy; hitting on the winning formula can prove to be absolute box office gold, as demonstrated by the behemoth that is High School Musical. Despite starring HSM’s Ashley Tisdale, Aliens in the Attic won’t come close to achieving that level of success thanks to its struggles to combine edgy CGI adventure with a sugary message of tolerance and the importance of family ties, it does enough to keep its target audience of the under-10s entertained.
It wasn’t just the oppressive heat that was generating a buzz in the screening room; there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air, even among the most hardened critics. Teaming as it does the remarkable acting talents of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale together with the impressive directorial weight of Michael Mann (Heat, The Insider, Ali), Public Enemies was a serious contender for movie of the year before even a minute had unspooled on screen. To live up to this level of extreme expectation the film needed to go way beyond great – it needed to be perfect.
It is.
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