Subject: Review: What Planet Are You From? (2000)

From: [email-masked] (Christian Pyle)
Date: 6 Mar 2000 17:11:27 GMT

What Planet Are You From?
Reviewed by Christian Pyle
Directed by Mike Nichols  
Written by Garry Shandling, Michael Leeson, Ed Solomon, and Peter Tolan
Starring Garry Shandling, Annette Bening, John Goodman, Greg Kinnear, and Ben
Kingsley
Official Site: http://www.spe.sony.com/movies/whatplanet/
Grade:  C+

Somewhere way out there is a planet with a society that has advanced beyond the
need for reproduction.  However, they haven't gotten past the desire for
conquest yet, so the planet's leader (Ben Kingsley) dispatches H1449-6 (Garry
Shandling) to Earth to impregnate a human female.  (If this works, they'll send
lots more guys to knock up our women, and the offspring will eventually take
over the planet).  The alien operative comes to Earth with the human name
Harold Anderson and a job at a Phoenix bank.  His slimy co-worker Perry (Greg
Kinnear) takes Harold to an AA meeting to pick up chicks.  There they meet
Susan Hart (Annette Bening), who's just given up a life of debauchery in favor
of sobriety.

The aliens have an unusual mode of travel between planets:  they beam
themselves into the restrooms of airplanes in flight.  So, while Harold seeks a
receptive womb, FAA investigator Roland Jones (John Goodman) is looking into
the bright lights and turbulence that accompanied Harold's arrival on Earth. 
Although skeptical after twenty years on the job, Roland soon deduces the truth
about Harold.

On their first date, Susan tells Harold that she's not going to have sex again
until she's married.  The next time he sees her, Harold proposes.  After some
deliberation, Susan accepts, and they're off to Vegas.  Even as he moves closer
to completing his mission, Harold begins to have feelings for Susan that
weren't covered in his training.  Will he be able to leave her when the baby is
born?

>From "The Graduate" to "The Birdcage," Mike Nichols has directed fresher,
funnier movies than this one.  The laughs in "What Planet Are You From?" come
in clumps separated by slow and predictable sequences.  The script by Shandling
and company could have used another rewrite or two.  It benefits from the fact
that sex is always funny, but it doesn't find any new approaches to familiar
gags.  Several of the funniest bits are beaten to death with repetition.  For
example, Harold's artificial penis hums when he gets an erection.  The first
time around, the joke is really funny; by the fifteenth time, it's just
annoying.

In the varied ensemble cast, Annette Bening stands out.  She plays her part of
the recovering alcoholic seeking meaning and stability with the earnestness of
drama.  As a result, Susan is a well-developed, three-dimensional character. 
Although the men get higher billing, the supporting actresses provide many of
the funniest moments.  Caroline Aaron is hilarious as Roland's suspicious wife
Nadine who believes that his sudden interest in work must mean he's having an
affair.  Linda Fiorentino plays Perry's wife who tries to seduce Harold to get
even with her husband (who actually is having an affair).  Nobody can play a
seduction scene as well as she can.

Despite having starred in two ground-breaking television series, Garry
Shandling remains a comedian, not an actor.  He can deliver funny lines with
skillful timing, but he can't bring a character to life.  This flaw doesn't
bode well for his career as a movie star, and I predict he'll find his way back
to the small screen or be content with supporting roles.  Speaking of
supporting actors . . . Greg Kinnear and Ben Kingsley CAN act but this movie
doesn't give them much to work with.  They both try hard but their characters
are standard stock figures we've seen a dozen times before.  I especially hope
to see Kinnear in a meatier role soon.  He proved his talent with his
Oscar-nominated performance in "As Good as It Gets" but hasn't challenged
himself since.

Bottom Line:  A handful of hilarious scenes separated by genial but stale plot
development

© 2000 Christian L. Pyle

Read my reviews and others at the Mad Review: 
http://www.madreview.com/main.html