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Aliens Ate My Homework (2018)

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Based on the popular book series by Bruce Coville.

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Aliens Ate My Homework

Aliens Ate My Homework is a 2018 American family comedy\adventure film directed by Sean McNamara.

The film was released on March 6, 2018 on Netflix. It is based on Bruce Coville's 1993 novel of the same name.

• 3 Critical Reception

The film follows cousins Rod and Elspeth (Jayden Grieg and Lauren McNamara) who meet a group of friendly aliens known as the Galactic Patrol.

• Jayden Grieg as Rod
• Lauren McNamara as Elspeth
• Kirsten Robek as Gwen
• Ty Consiglio as Billy
• Sean Quan as Mickey
• London Cardinal as Young Eric
• Alexia Stroup as Young Linda
• William Shatner as Phil the Plant (voice)
• Dan Payne as Grakker (voice)
• Tristan Risk as Madame Pong (voice)
• Alex Zahara as Tar Gibbons (voice)

Critical Reception [ ]

Renee Longstreet from Common Sense Media gave the film a two-star rating, stating: "Kids will find some laughs and some characters to like here, but the primitive special effects and general amateurish production make this movie hard to recommend."

Brendan Campbell from Inside Impulse wrote: "Aliens At My Homework is a fairly fast-moving movie at 90-minutes, and fans who read the book will likely be happy to see the characters they’ve read about come to life."

Video Librarian gave it three stars, saying: "Unapologetically cheesy as effects-heavy sci-fi films go, Aliens Ate My Homework makes up for a lot of hokey ray-guns, miniature spaceships, and a talking shrub (or something) with clever, ironic humor that appeals to the middle-schooler in us all."

The Joey Awards, Vancouver (2018)

• Best Ensemble in MOW or Video Feature: Jayden Greig, Lauren McNamara , Ty Consiglio, Sean Quan, Christian Convery and Carmela Nossa Guizzo [ Winner ]
• Best Leading Actress in a MOW/Video Feature: Lauren McNamara [ Winner ]
• Best Actress in a Principal or Supporting Role in a MOW/Video Feature 5-8 Years: Carmela Nossa Guizzo [ Winner ]

Daytime Emmy Awards (2019)

• Outstanding Makeup [ Nominated ]

Leo Awards (2019)

• Best Performance in a Youth or Children's Program or Series: Dan Payne [ Winner ]

Young Artist Awards (2019)

• Best Ensemble Performance in a Streaming Series or Film: Jayden Greig, Lauren McNamara, Sean Quan, Ty Consiglio, Christian Convery, Carmela Nossa Guizzo [ Winner ]
• Best Performance in a Streaming Series or Film (Young Actor): Christian Convery [ Winner ]
• Best Performance in a Streaming Series or Film (Young Actress): Lauren McNamara and Carmela Nossa Guizzo [ Nominated ]

Young Entertainer Awards (2019)

• Best Young Ensemble Cast (Feature Film): Christian Convery, Jayden Greig, Carmela Nossa Guizzo, Sean Quan and Lauren McNamara [ Winner ]
• Best Leading Young Actor (Independent or Film Festival Feature Film): Jayden Greig [ Nominated ]
• Best Supporting Young Actor (Independent or Film Festival Feature Film): Sean Quan [ Nominated ]
• Best Supporting Young Actress (Independent or Film Festival Feature Film): Lauren McNamara and Carmela Nossa Guizzo [ Nominated ]

A sequel, Aliens Stole My Body was released in 2020.

• 1 Lucy Shimmers And The Prince Of Peace
• 2 The Secret Path
• 3 My Son Is Innocent

Aliens Ate My Homework

Cast & crew.

Jayden Greig

Lauren McNamara

Kirsten Robek

Alex Zahara

Tar Gibbons

Cartoonish violence in live-action book-based alien tale.

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Aliens Ate My Homework

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Rent Aliens Ate My Homework on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Reviews

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Sean McNamara

Jayden Greig

Rod Allbright

Lauren K. Robek

Gwen Allbright

London Cardinal

Young Eric Allbright

Alexia Stroup

Young Linda

Sandy Robson

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Aliens ate my homework, common sense media reviewers.

Cartoonish violence in live-action book-based alien tale.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

May spark interest in science. Reference to and br

Values promoted: healthy and respectful disagreeme

Young hero, the victim of a bully, gains self-conf

Mild action and suspense. Aliens, with one excepti

Rude humor: "boogers," "fart." Massive stomach gur

Razor helmet, Shock Rocks candy.

Parents need to know that Aliens Ate My Homework is a live-action adaptation of the first book in Bruce Coville's successful series, Rod Allbright and the Galactic Patrol . In this origin story, Rod Allbright (Jayden Greig), a 12-year-old boy, is visited by aliens who are out to save Earth. The…

Educational Value

May spark interest in science. Reference to and brief explanation of the Drake Equation, which is used to estimate likelihood of finding life in the galaxy.

Positive Messages

Values promoted: healthy and respectful disagreement and teamwork -- each individual has a part to play in a successful task. It's important to overlook our differences and find ways to connect.

Positive Role Models

Young hero, the victim of a bully, gains self-confidence, courage, and pride in his own abilities. His cousin and partner, a know-it-all girl, learns to be less judgmental and rigid. Adults are responsible, caring. Some ethnic diversity.

Violence & Scariness

Mild action and suspense. Aliens, with one exception, are more humorous than scary. The one exception: A boy transforms into an alien villain with hideous teeth and threatening demeanor. Ray-gun fire, lightning storm. Characters are shaken, threatened, momentarily frozen, held captive, and chased. A bully smooshes a large bug onto his victim's head and face. Visuals of creepy crawlies: a tarantula, a scorpion.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Rude humor: "boogers," "fart." Massive stomach gurgling erupts into projective vomiting.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Parents need to know.

Parents need to know that Aliens Ate My Homework is a live-action adaptation of the first book in Bruce Coville 's successful series, Rod Allbright and the Galactic Patrol . In this origin story, Rod Allbright (Jayden Greig), a 12-year-old boy, is visited by aliens who are out to save Earth. The miniature beings, more humorous than scary, crash-land in a miniature spaceship in Rod's bedroom. Expect frequent mild action: ray guns, lightning, characters (including small children) frozen in place as hostages and held captive. ( Spoiler alert : The villain is vanquished when he's pelted with muck.) Another sixth-grader bullies the hero and his friend, mashing a large bug into his victim's hair and face. Words like "booger" and "fart" are used to get laughs. Some sad moments relate to Rod's father disappearing three years earlier in a turbulent storm. But overall it should be OK for kids who are comfortable with real vs. pretend violence. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (4)

Based on 1 parent review

Absolute garbage..

What's the story.

Rod Allbright's dad, dedicated to making science fun for his family, disappears when a strange storm carries him away in ALIENS ATE MY HOMEWORK. But before he is whooshed away, he promises Rod that he'll return. Three years later, Rod (Jayden Greig), now a sixth-grader, still misses his dad terribly but never stops believing that he'll come back. Bullied at school by the ruthless Billy (Ty Consiglio), Rod and his best friend, Mickey (Sean Quan), are simply outmatched. But things are going to change for Rod Allbright. To his utter amazement, a miniature spaceship crash-lands in his bedroom. Four very small (action figure-sized) alien members of "The Galactic Patrol" -- three creatures and a talking plant (voiced by William Shatner ) -- are in desperate need of his help. Their mission is to find B'kr, a ferocious villain guilty of the galaxy's greatest crime: cruelty. Certain B'kr is masquerading as a human, they must stop him before he can execute his plan to destroy the earth. It's all overwhelming at first. Not only does he have to keep the Galaxy Patrol's arrival secret and help them repair their damaged spacecraft, but his annoying cousin Elspeth (Lauren McNamara) has also arrived to stay with his family. And, most bizarre of all, the evil B'kr may be posing as someone Rod knows!

Is It Any Good?

Kids will find some laughs and some characters to like here, but the primitive special effects and general amateurish production make this movie hard to recommend. What's good about the film -- an inventive premise and the emphasis on science -- came from the book. It's clear that having William Shatner on board was a casting coup for the filmmakers, but his performance is more annoying than engaging. A crucial plot element, the disappearance of Rod Allbright's dad, isn't resolved, and the movie's ending indicates that there will be further adventures. On a positive note, Aliens Ate My Homework may inspire some kids to read the popular Coville book series, and that's always a good thing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Aliens Ate My Homework. Even though it's a live-action movie, the action is more cartoon-like than real. What is the impact of violence on kids? Does cartoon violence lessen that impact? Why or why not?

How did the arrival of the Galactic Patrol help Rod work out his own issues? With Billy? With Elspeth? In what ways did Rod change over the course of his adventure?

The Drake Equation -- estimating the possibility of other lifeforms in the cosmos -- really exists. Have you ever thought about that possibility? Create your own ideal planet or star. What would the civilization and its inhabitants look like? What kind of world would it be?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : March 6, 2018
• Cast : Jayden Greig , Lauren McNamara , William Shatner
• Director : Sean McNamara
• Studio : Universal 1440 Entertainment
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Space and Aliens
• Run time : 89 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : rude humor, mild action, and thematic elements
• Last updated : April 18, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema.

When a tiny intergalactic starship crashes into the bedroom of 12-year-old Rod Allbright, it’s the start of the adventure of a lifetime for him and his cousin Elspeth. Enlisted by the extraterrestrial Galactic Patrol, a group of out-of-this-world lawmen, Rod and Elspeth must race to save the world.

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TV Listings

• Cast & Crew

Aliens Ate My Homework

• 1 hr 29 mins
• Fantasy, Family, Comedy, Science Fiction

A 12-year-old boy named Rod Allbright is shocked when a miniscule spaceship lands in his bedroom. Soon, he and his cousin Elspeth are recruited by an outer-space law-enforcement unit called Galactic Patrol to help save the world from a nefarious threat.

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1:21 Aliens Ate My Homework

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Kirsten Robek

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Aliens Ate My Homework

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Aliens Ate My Homework is a 2018 direct-to-DVD film produced by Universal 1440 Entertainment. It will be released directly on DVD and Digital on March 6, 2018.

Extraterrestrials invade Earth and a pair of middle schoolers hold the fate of the world in their hands in Aliens Ate My Homework, a delightfully comical intergalactic adventure from Universal 1440 and Lay-Carnagey Entertainment. Aliens Ate My Homework is based on the first book in the wildly successful Rod Allbright and the Galactic Patrol series. Written by internationally renowned author Bruce Coville, the four-part saga has sold over 17 million books worldwide and has been translated into 16 languages. When a tiny intergalactic starship crashes into the bedroom of 12-year-old Rod Allbright (Jayden Greig), it's the start of the adventure of a lifetime for him and his cousin Elspeth (Lauren McNamara). Enlisted by the extraterrestrial Galactic Patrol, a group of out-of-this-world lawmen, Rod and Elspeth must race to save the world from Total Planetary Disaster.

• This is the first film where the Universal Pictures logo appears at both the beginning and the end.

Facehuggers Invade the Alien: Romulus Panel | SDCC 2024

Fede Álvarez and the cast of Alien: Romulus surprised attendees at Comic-Con’s Hall H with a never-before-seen extended trailer. But that wasn’t the only surprise fans were in for. To demonstrate their focus on practical effects, the team behind Alien: Romulus brought real-life Facehuggers and Chestbursters to Hall H.

Presented by Alien: Romulus. Face your fears in IMAX. In theaters August 16th.

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Where to Watch

Not yet available for streaming.

'Alien: Romulus' cast faces freaky Facehuggers at Comic-Con: 'Just run'

SAN DIEGO – Good news for anyone who’s never had the pleasure of watching frightening Xenomorphs, freaky Facehuggers and ghastly Chestbursters: "Alien: Romiulus" requires no viewing homework to enjoy.

“Romulus” (in theaters Aug. 16), the seventh movie in the “Alien” franchise , is set between the first two movies: Ridley Scott’s 1979 original sci-fi horror classic and James Cameron’s action-packed 1986 “Aliens” sequel, which both starred Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ripley.

“You don’t need to have seen the other ones. If you have, it’s a treat. If you haven’t, then I’m jealous,” writer/director Fede Alvarez said Friday during a “Romulus” presentation at Comic-Con, the pop-culture convention held at the San Diego Convention Center.

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The latest “Alien” centers on a group of young colonizers (played by Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu) who happen upon an abandoned space station, investigate the place and find it full of murderous extraterrestrial creatures.

Spaeny said Alvarez has “such a grasp of the language of horror. He knows the franchise like the back of his hand and there’s so much care.”

Alvarez wanted to bring back the psychosexual weirdness of the early “Alien” movies and also explore something the others haven’t, a strong connection between the characters. “It’s really about being someone’s sibling. Would you die for a brother or a sister, or would you be a coward?”

The filmmaker chose “fresh faces” for his cast, “people you didn’t associate with another character,” and developed a suspenseful vibe throughout the movie about what would happen to them. 

“When you watch the first movie, you have no idea Sigourney would survive,” Alvarez said. “This, you don’t know who’s going to die.”

That’s why Alvarez filmed the movie chronologically, so when someone “died” it was emotional, and the remaining cast would have to say goodbye to that actor. “We could all go through that story,” he said.

Watching movies like “Alien” “shapes your tastes and habits, even though the first one’s a bit before my time,” said Jonsson, who plays the android Andy. Playing a synthetic (or “artificial person,” to be politically correct “Alien”-wise), “it’s an amazing challenge as a young actor, taking on a role that's been painted so many times. Fede let me wipe it clean and make it my own.”

Alvarez showcased some new – and seriously gory – clips for the Comic-Con audience, including a nasty bit with a Chestburster. He tried to use as physical effects as much as possible in “Romulus,” and carried them over to the presentation, where Facehuggers skittered about the stage.

The best advice on how to escape one of those beasties? “Don’t be stupid about it. Just run,” Fearn said.

Jonsson had sort of a run-in with one on the set. In the movie, his character does some “very cool” things, including hoisting a Facehugger up by the tail and tossing him out of harm’s way. Filming one scene, Jonsson requested “the big boy” and threw the prop, but “it whipped back around and detached my retina,” he recalled. “We finished the day, I went and got a couple of stitches, and it was fun.”