I loved the book Aliens Ate My Homework when I was in elementary school. I haven't read it in 20 years, so I can't really comment on how good the book would be to adult eyes.
Still, this film condenses and alters the plot to the point where I wasn't all that impressed. I did really like the look of the aliens, and the kids playing the younger siblings were fun and cute and a nice break from the usual sarcastic, precocious kids you see in most movies/shows.
But this film is also full of groan-worthy, and borderline inappropriate moments, ranging from the litany of horrible plant puns (from the plant alien) to a jaw-dropping shot where the main character holds a paper mache volcano at his crotch while it shoots out white foam.
Also, call me crazy, but this movie was full of references to the main character being fat and yet I felt like the actor looked like he was a healthy weight. And yet he is called "pudge-boy" and his cousin makes jokes about his diet not working out. It was weird seeing a child at a normal weight being fat-shamed. If they wanted this to be a part of the pot, then they should have found an actor who was actually overweight.
I was hoping that this would be a fun throwback to a childhood favorite, but ultimately it was pretty disappointing. Though I did realize a little ways through the film that the person playing the principal was Bruce Coville himself! If you really liked the book as a kid, maybe check it out. Otherwise, skip it. Would I show this film to a child? Probably not. Both because of the "humor" and because it's simply not that good.
