Watch Spaced Invaders

In 1990, a science-fiction comedy film titled Spaced Invaders was released, directed by Patrick Read Johnson. The film features a cast of talented actors, including Douglas Barr, Royal Dano, Ariana Richards, J.J. Anderson, Gregg Berger, Wayne Alexander and others. Spaced Invaders is a fun and lighthearted film that tells the story of several Martians who inadvertently end up on Earth on Halloween night.

The story begins when a group of diminutive Martians sets off to conquer a new planet. The Martians' spaceship looks to be a flying pumpkin, evoking the Halloween theme. They are eager to land on Earth and colonize it. However, unknown to them, their spaceship is headed towards a small American town where the inhabitants are decked out in costumes for the night.

When the Martians land in the small town, they mistake the Halloween partygoers for the real inhabitants of the planet. They assume the Earth to be their new home, and they are here to conquer it. The Martians are clueless and ill-prepared for this adventure. They are at a loss when they realize that their invasion has landed them in the middle of Halloween celebrations. The aliens are initially mistaken for costumed revelers, and their use of a ray gun sets off an unwarranted chain of events.

Meanwhile, the story's hero, Joe (portrayed by Douglas Barr), is a farmer and a harried father. Joe has a young daughter named Kathy (played brilliantly by Ariana Richards), and he is concerned about how he will take care of his farm and raise his child after his wife's death. The Martian invasion presents him with an unexpected opportunity.

As the town reacts to the Martian invasion, Joe sees the event as a chance to make some extra money. He and his daughter devise a plan to capture the alien visitors and make them the centerpiece at their Halloween party. To complicate matters, an old hermit (Royal Dano) who lives nearby and who may hold the secret to the Martians' return trip to their home planet, unwittingly gets in the way of Joe's plans.

The filmmakers successfully capture the humor of the situation as the aliens try to blend in with the Earthlings in a town that is celebrating Halloween. The Martians attempt to adapt to their new environment, but they are like fish out of water. The alien's inability to understand human customs offers some excellent comedic moments. The aliens have a naive, childlike quality that is only amplified by their mishaps on Earth. Over time, the human characters come to appreciate the aliens' innocence and vulnerability.

The movie is a delightful romp through a small town. It is not an action film, but rather a fun-filled comedy. The humor is clean, and while some puns may be a bit groan-worthy, they are all in good fun. The film is suitable for audiences of all ages, and many of the jokes and lines will resonate with parents and children.

One of the film's biggest strengths is the cast. Douglas Barr is excellent as Joe, the farmer who is also masquerading as an alien hunter. Ariana Richards, fresh from her starring role in Jurassic Park, was only 11 years old when the film was made but shows that she already possesses a tremendous talent. Royal Dano brings a wonderful eccentricity to his role as the town's archetypal outsider.

Overall, Spaced Invaders is a delightful, PG-rated comedy film. It is a proof that humor and sci-fi can work very well and is perfect for families that want to share laughter and good times. The film is not profound, but it does not try to be. It is just a fun movie filled with laughs and light-heartedness. It is a movie that will most likely have you and your family quoting lines from it long after the credits have rolled.

Spaced Invaders is a 1990 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.3 and a MetaScore of 38.