*Batteries Not Included

 Gosh, I certainly saw this film quite a lot as a child. It was one of those films my parents taped on VHS, and I kept on coming back to this one. Stands to reason: it is a fun and harmless little adventure, that manages to be easily accessible to all ages. One of the writers on this project was Brad Bird, who would later on become a big name with Pixar and funnily enough, you can find some of his quirks in the story on display here. 

Somewhere in New York, an old neighbourhood is being demolished for a fancy new project. That is to say: except for one building, where the few owners defiantly refuse to move, even if the building guru Lacey is using hired hands to scare and bully the residents. After the café owned by the elder couple Frank and Faye is completely destroyed, they do lose hope. But then sentient flying saucer-shaped aliens come down in search of metal and electricity. Nothing special so far, you might think, but these guys are fervent repairbots who fix almost anything without question. So now the people of the building have a new lust for life and they along with the building, become vibrant and alive again. But of course, there is trouble on the horizon... 

It's a nice hodgepodge of characters, but the focus lies mostly with the elderly couple Frank and Faye, played by real life couple Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. Frank is a bit gruff at times, but because Faye has dementia, it isn't easy for him. She keeps referring to people as Bobby, their deceased son. This makes for some of the most poignant scenes in the film and Tandy plays her role pretty spot on. She still has flashes back to the present, and her portrayal is fairly realistic, so be prepared for some uneasy moments if you have ever known a person with dementia. 

The rest of the cast is okay, but nothing special. Dennis Boutsikaris is a failing painter with his heart in the right place but not a lot of people skills. Elizabeth Peña is a pregnant girl whose boyfriend is nowhere to be found for most of the time and of course they have to have a relationship blossom between her and Boutsikaris, but thankfully it doesn't feel forced. Frank McRae plays Harry Noble, a retired boxer and the caretaker of the building, who doesn't really speak, except for some lines from commercials. 

The cast is fine and you will sympathize with these characters quite rapidly. The bad guys are a bit bland. The real estate bigshot Lacey is pretty stock, as is his henchman. The goons that are hired to get rid of the people in the building don't add up to much, except for the character of Carlos. They try to make him a more sympathetic character towards the end, but he's still just a douche, I'm sorry. His moment of saving the day comes a little too late and there is no real redemption here. 

The main reason to watch this, are the aliens. These saucer-like robots are ridiculously cute and the makers knew it. Heck, they even have three adorable babies, believe it or not. They are a mix of practical effects, bluescreen insertion and stop motion. The practical versions look awesome and the stop motion (especially for the babies) is top notch. Just the bluescreen keying isn't perfect and that can be a little distracting at times. Also, some of the sets are obviously sets, such as the rooftop locale, where you can almost feel the paint of the backdrop. 

But all in all, this is a fun watch. It isn't earth-shattering or phenomenally awesome, but it is a fun family film, or just something to watch if you want to get a fuzzy warm feeling that the world isn't a horrid place all the time. Maybe that's just what you need.