I feel like a meanie for not giving this flick at least three stars. It’s so earnest and excitable. But it’s got some slogy bits for a movie that barely hits 80 minutes and its aggressively low budget sometimes gets in the way.

Kids vs. Aliens is, indeed, about kids (and teens) fighting off aggressive alien invaders. The kids and surly teens squable at a party when the rubber-suited aliens appear and abduct the kids. Can an older sister save the day?

I really liked the cast in this flick. Both the kid and teen actors are pretty good in what’s probably some of their first films. Everyone is game and there’s a certain 80s throwback charm to the chaos. And one must always appreciate foul-mouthed children. It has a certain Goonies meets Stand By Me charm.

But the movie is also super low budget and the alien invaders are men in cheap rubber suits, most often shot out of focus or at a distance to hide their appearance. This isn’t necessarily bad but examples of the budget hindering the story exist throughout.

But the real problem is some of the pacing. Both early scenes with squabbling kids and the alien kidnapping and rescue can get bogged down and tedious. Which is really unfortunate because there are some very cool moments in the movie too. The lead actress – the older sister – is a real badass and she might have a fine career going forward.

This isn’t a terrible film but it barely hangs on by its fingers. I wish I liked it more and I bet the story of its production is better than the flick itself. It’s a bit of goofy fun that you might like more than me so maybe check it out if the premise sounds fun.

Score: 74