What Planet Are You From?

I believe that this film is often misunderstood.

I believe that one would have to be a fan of Gary Shandling to thoroughly enjoy the film. If you find Shandling to be unfunny, then the entirety of the film will be lost on you. If you find yourself laughing at Shandling and his wry sense of humor, as I do, then you'll most likely find this film as a underated "diamond in the rough."

It is my opinion that the "Extra-Terristrial/World Domination" plot of this film is strictly metophorical, and should be taken as such. Shandling masterfully uses this as a platform to illustrate the "world" of difference in the psychies of men and women. Though we speak the same language, Shandling is showing us that we are often hearing quite different things. He shows men as we truly are, an evolved species that is still driven by are primitave nature of 65 million years ago.

I wouldn't classify this film as "laugh out loud" funny, but I believe that there are several witty and insiteful jokes that show us just how different we truly are. I would highly recommend this film to any man, or woman, in a secure and typical relationship. If you have ever struggled to wonder what your companion is truly thinking when they say the things they say, or do the things they do, then I don't believe you will be disappointed by this film.

I don't know why I'm afraid to admit it, but WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM? is definitely one of my guilty pleasures which I have viewed multiple times and still find highly entertaining. This cute and entertaining comedy stars Garry Shandling as an alien sent to earth to impregnate a woman and bring the baby back to his planet. He ends up targeting a real estate agent and recovering alcoholic (Annette Bening) as his target, but he doesn't plan on complications like love, marriage, friends, business competitors...those little things that we earthlings deal with on a daily basis but an alien from another planet would have no concept of. The opening scenes of the aliens being educated on the female erogenous zones are quite amusing as is Shandling's explanations of women to aliens when he returns to his planet after impregnating Bening and stealing the baby. Bening is charming in a rare comedic turn and even gets to sing. Greg Kinnear scores as a slimy co-worker of Shandling's and Linda Fiorentino makes the most of her brief appearance as his sexy wife. John Goodman is solid as a cynical UFO investigator who can't get anyone to believe there is an alien on earth and has to deal with his paranoid wife (Caroline Aaron) who is convinced the man is cheating on her. Ben Kingsley, in a refreshing change of pace, plays the stone-faced leader of Shandling's planet and Camryn Manheim, Nora Dunn, and Ann Cusack appear as Bening's girlfriends. Shandling co-wrote this comedy, smoothly directed by Mike Nichols, of all people. It's no masterpiece, but there are worse ways to kill 90 minutes and there are laughs to be had along the way.

I have long been a fan of Gary Shandling ever since his show on Fox. He has a perfect way a delivering the dead pan punch line. Gary is perfectly cast as the emotionless alien who comes to impregnate a woman in order to take over our world. What Planet Are You From has its flaws and arguments could be made for not liking this film. At times it is uneven and not sure what direction it wants to take. Sub plots are left unexplained or ended in a somewhat confusing fashion. All of these distractions are a side note to hilarious writing and stellar acting from a great cast including John Goodman, Greg Kinnear, Linda Fiorentino, and Annette Benning. The jokes are all dead on and Shandling's performance, especially as he develops into the more atypical male stereotype, is brilliant.

This is a cute little sex farce starring and written by Garry Shandling. Harold Anderson (Shandling) is actually an alien on a very special mission. He must impregnate an earth woman to begin the infiltration of earth for eventual domination and takeover. He has done his research and learned to be a good listener, dutifully repeating `uh huh' at every utterance by a female. Unfortunately, there are certain subtleties he hasn't mastered in the fine art of seduction, and he gets his face slapped repeatedly.

After countless humorous failures, he meets Susan (Annette Benning), his future mate and discovers that the only way she will have sex with him is if he marries her. After the nuptials he learns that all the rules of engagement have changed.

This droll script ranges from mildly silly to hysterical as it holds a circus mirror up to our mating rituals. Shandling is always funny with his deadpan whiney style, but the real treat here is Annette Benning. She makes this film work as Shandling's overwrought love interest. As she did in `American Beauty', she plays another caricature role to perfection. Here she is the aging female who has been a continual loser at the dating game and is desperately searching for love. Her brilliant performance is a treat that upstages Shandling at every turn. In addition, the rest of the cast is wonderful and fits well with Shandling's wry sense of humor.

This is a fun and very light comedy that works well most of the time. I rated it 7/10. Viewers who are offended by nudity, profanity and sexual situations should pass. Others will probably enjoy more than a few good laughs.

This movie didn't do very well at the box office and I don't know why it has to be one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Gary Shandling has never been better as an alien sent to Earth to have sex with a female and bring the child back to his home planet. But while on Earth Shandling runs into all sorts of problems. One of the more funny happenings in the film is that whenever stimulated his penis generates a humming noise. John Goodman is also hilarious as the man trying to find the alien. It is very entertaining to watch Sandling who comes to Earth as a horney alien turn into a slob of a man after he is married to Anette Benning, maybe this movie could be much more accurate than we give it credit. So although it is no Snatch or Made if you are looking for something less gross out than American Pie but still craving those masculine sex jokes this movie is sure not to dissapoint.