Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens

Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens is an American computer-animated science fiction action film that premiered on Cartoon Network Asia on March 11, 2012,[1][3][8][9] and in the United States on Cartoon Network March 23, 2012, as part of "Ben 10 Week" which ran from March 19, 2012 – March 24, 2012. The events of the film take place after the final episode of the series.[10] It was officially unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con International 2011. This is Cartoon Network Asia's first film in collaboration with Cartoon Network Studios.[11] The movie was Cartoon Network's first CG animated movie[12] and the first time the Ben 10 universe would be interpreted in full CG.[13] Tiny Island Productions, producer of Qubo's Shelldon, provided the CGI for the film.[5] David Kwok, the CEO of Tiny Island Productions, commented that having an opportunity to work on the film was amazing and challenging.[5] This film took place one whole year after the first animated film, Secret of the Omnitrix, making Ben and Gwen eleven years old and Grandpa Max sixty-one. It is dedicated to Dulce Lim Chen.

Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens
Promotional poster for the film.
Created byMan Of Action
Based onBen 10
by Man of Action
Written byMarty Isenberg[1][2]
Directed byVictor Cook[1][3]
StarringTara Strong
Meagan Smith
Paul Eiding
Composers
Country of origin
  • Singapore
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Mark Eyers
  • Rick Fernandes
  • Silas Hickey[1][4]
  • Vishnu Athreya
Producers
  • Kurt Weldon (line)
  • Victor Cook (supervising)
EditorAaron Seelman
Running time69 minutes[5][6][7]
Production companies
DistributorCartoon Network
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Original release
  • March 11, 2012 (2012-03-11) (Asia[8])
  • March 23, 2012 (2012-03-23) (United States)

Plot

Ben Tennyson, his cousin Gwen and their Grandpa Max spend their evenings fighting aliens on the streets of Bellwood. During a battle that involves chasing and fighting a robotic tank, Ben as Upgrade and Gwen argue about the best way to defeat it, resulting in Gwen utilizing her extraordinarily strong magic (which is colored pink rather than blue as it was in the original show's third and fourth seasons) to cast a dismantling spell on the tank while Ben is still attached to it. Though this does defeat the tank, unknown to the cousins, it leads to a malfunction in the Omnitrix.

Later, after a mishap in school where J.T. and Cash lock Ben in his locker, and the Omnitrix accidentally teleports his homework away in a sudden flash of green-pink energy, Ben is grounded by his parents, Carl and Sandra, and forced to stay at home to do a history report. Ben attempts to work on the report before the Omnitrix teleports his laptop away as well. Shortly afterwards, Ben's alien friend Tetrax Shard arrives and tells Ben that Azmuth has asked to meet with him. They go to meet Azmuth, but end up attacked by a To'kustar (Way Big's species). Tetrax and Ben start to fight the alien, who is teleported into the Omnitrix, though neither of them is aware of it. Tetrax decides to take Ben to search for Azmuth and activates a new function on the Omnitrix. Before he can explain this new ability, the ship is attacked and Ben is sucked out into the atmosphere, falling to the ground as Diamondhead.

It is later revealed that the new ability prevents Ben from returning to human form when the Omnitrix times out, simply switching into another one of his alien forms. Ben as Four Arms arrives at Stonehenge, but is confronted and attacked by a Galvanic Mechamorph (Upgrade's species), with abilities of forming weapons and armor from its body and teleportation, who demands to know about the To'kustar that had attacked Ben. Ben explains to the Mechamorph that he knows nothing, but it only continues to attack, and its teleportation ability causes the pair to carry the rest of their battle across the globe: after destroying part of Stonehenge, they nearly damage Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and fight at the Great Pyramids in Egypt before arriving back in Bellwood. Ben transforms into Grey Matter and manages to escape the Mechamorph.

Meanwhile, Gwen and Grandpa Max receive a call from Ben's parents informing them that Ben has escaped. They go in search of him only to find Tetrax. The three discover Azmuth's ship, but with no sign of Azmuth. Looking at the ship's log, they discover that Azmuth disguised it as a truck to track down and fix the malfunctioning Omnitrix, but crashed and was destroyed by the To'kustar. After escaping the Mechamorph, Ben as Grey Matter is mistaken as a small creature by his parents before Gwen, Grandpa Max and Tetrax soon encounter him back at his house. Tetrax restores Ben's Omnitrix to normal just as the Mechamorph catches up to them. Gwen sees how the Omnitrix reacts after Ben returns to his human form and deduces what has happened just as she, Ben, Tetrax and the Mechamorph are transported into the Omnitrix itself.

Inside, Ben and the Mechamorph continue to battle before being attacked by a swarm of Lepidopterrans (Stinkfly's species) just as Gwen and Tetrax are ambushed by a pack of Vulpimancers (Wildmutt's species). The four catch up with each other and they realize that the To'kustar is inside with them just as he resurfaces. The Mechamorph, who is revealed to be Azmuth's father, attacks the To'kustar to avenge the death of his son while Gwen explains to Ben about the malfunction that she accidentally caused to the Omnitrix when she cast the dismantling spell on the robotic tank while Ben was attached to it. She uses Azmuth's father to reverse the transportation and return them all to Earth.

Azmuth's father pursues and fights the To'kustar, but the Omnitrix malfunctions again and transforms Ben's parents into a Vulpimancer and a Pyronite (Heatblast's species), causing Gwen to realize that the Omnitrix had transformed Azmuth into the To'kustar. Leaving Grandpa Max and Tetrax to fight his parents, Ben and Gwen follow Azmuth's father and Azmuth to the city where Ben transforms into Way Big to battle Azmuth and hold off his father while he and Gwen try and reverse the transformation, although the three-way battle causes massive damage (yet apparently without causing any civilian deaths) to the city in the process. Ben and Gwen finally convince Azmuth's father that his son is the To'kustar they are fighting, and the three work together to help Azmuth regain control of himself.

Now regaining his senses, Azmuth proceeds to use his father's Mechamorph abilities to fix the Omnitrix and subsequently allow it to return himself to normal. Azmuth reprimands Ben and Gwen for their errors and reveals that his father is actually a Galvan like him, wearing a Mechamorph-type enhanced armor that, as Azmuth reprimands him for as well, amplifies any anger of the user, explaining his behavior. Hearing Azmuth explaining of how the Omnitrix was so filled with pink mana, Gwen asks what he means, to which he simply says she will know eventually. Returning to Ben's house, Azmuth restores Ben's parents to normal, albeit unconscious, and repairs the Rust bucket, previously destroyed in the battle, before leaving to reconcile with his own father.

After Azmuth, his father and Tetrax are out of sight, Ben's parents regain consciousness, and having forgotten they grounded Ben, tell him to enjoy his fishing trip with Grandpa Max and Gwen. Ben declines, having learned to be more responsible then before, and stays home to finish his history report for school. It ends with Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max on another road trip where they encounter Doctor Animo and the three prepare for another exciting battle of extraterrestrial, mystical, and highly advanced technological might yet again.

Cast

Crew

To promote the film, a toy line manufactured by Bandai had been announced to launch around the same time the film premiered.[15] Cartoon Network Asia and Philippines held a contest for one male and one female to be "immortalized in Ben 10 history."[16] The two winners would receive "the ultimate voice over role," assorted prizes (clothing, toys, etc.) and a VIP limo ride to walk on the "green carpet" at the Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens premiere.[16] A similar competition was held in Malaysia and the Middle East. Filipino viewers heard the Philippine winners while the rest of Southeast Asia will hear the Malaysian kids.[17] The winners of the contest in Philippines were later revealed to be Nina Teo and Xander Ching who are voicing two of Ben's classmates.[18] Cartoon Network Africa held a contest to win Green Movie Tickets to the exclusive premiere of the film in Johannesburg on March 10, 2012.[19]

The film was later released on iTunes and other electronic-based stores, such as the PlayStation Store.[20]

Home media

Madman Entertainment released Destroy All Aliens in Region 4 on June 20, 2012. Warner Home Video released the film in Region 2 on October 1, 2012. The film was also released in Region 1 on April 16, 2013.

Reception

Critical reviews

The film received positive reviews, as it currently holds an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on audience reviews.
Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens a 3 out of 5.[21] Although criticizing on how much violence exists in the context of the story Ashby states that the story emphasizes the joy of family, even when that comes with rules a person does not like.[21]

Nielsen ratings

In the United States, Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens increased by double digits across the board versus the same time period in 2011.[22] The broadcast placed #1 in its time period in boys 2–11.[22]

Awards

The film won the Best 3D Animated Program category at the Asian Television Awards 2012[23][24] as well as the Gold Award for Best Movie Campaign in the 2012 ProMax Awards.[25] The award demonstrated the high level of animation talent on show in Asia and the talent available here, commented Sunny Saha from Turner International.[26]

Notes
  • Unlike the original series, Gwen's magical aura is colored shades of pink and magenta as it is in the three sequel series. Also, Way Big's appearance in this movie has the Alien Force/Ultimate Alien appearance. The reason is unknown, but maybe it aired during the two series' run since the first series was already finished three years ago.
  • Though originally stated to not be canon, Derrick J. Wyatt later stated that the film is canon, and the destruction of the battle between Way Big and the evil Way Big led to aliens being brought in to rebuild the area, where they established their own society of Undertown as depicted in Ben 10: Omniverse.
  • Nina Teo and Xander Ching are featured only in the Philippine version of the film.

See also

References
  1. "Cartoon Network to show CGI animated TV film on Ben 10". Indian Television. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  2. McLean, Thomas J. "Cartoon Networks Set CG 'Ben 10 TV Movie for 2012". Animation Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  3. Getzler, Wendy Goldman. "Ben 10 lands television movie". Kidscreen. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  4. "Ben 10 destroys aliens in CGI". Asia OnScreen. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  5. Zahed, Ramin. "Singapore's Tiny Island Works On Ben10 MovieI". AnimationMagazine. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  6. Arrant, Chris (August 25, 2011). "Singapore's Tiny Island to Work On "Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens"". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  7. "'Ben 10 - Destroy All Aliens' to premiere on Cartoon Network". MB.com.ph. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  8. "Coming Up In March - Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  9. "Cartoon Network 2011: Johnny Bravo Goes to Bollywood e Ben 10 – Alien Dimensions | Anime, Mangá e TV – ANMTV". Anmtv.xpg.com.br. 2010-11-26. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
  10. Arrant, Chris (March 5, 2012). "Cartoon Network Celebrates Ben 10 Week March 19–24, 2012; "Destroy All Aliens" Premieres March 23". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  11. "Cartoon Network to Celebrate BEN 10 Week with New Movie and More". SciFiMania.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
  12. "Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens". Cartoon Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  13. Sarto, Dan (March 5, 2012). "Ben 10 Destroy All Aliens Movie to Premiere on Cartoon Network in March". Animation World Network. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  14. Sarto, Dan (March 5, 2012). "Ben 10 Destroy All Aliens Movie to Premiere on Cartoon Network in March". Animation World Network. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  15. Carter, Stu (January 21, 2012). "Ben 10 Destroy All Aliens Toys Preview w/ Retaliator Hong Kong Licensing Show". YouTube. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  16. "What's Up With That Alien?". Cartoon Network Asia. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  17. Pulumbarit, Oliver M. "Filipino kids' voices in 'Ben 10'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  18. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network (February 3, 2012). "Filipino kids' voices in 'Ben 10'". Asia One. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  19. "Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens". DSTV. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  20. "PlayStation Store - Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens". PlayStation.com. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  21. Ashby, Emily. "Common Sense Media - Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens". Common Sense Media. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  22. Kondolojy, Amanda (March 27, 2012). "Ratings Notes for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TBS, TNT: NCAA Basketball, 'Conan','Southland', 'The Mentalist', 'Hardcore Pawn', 'Adventure Time' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  23. "Nomination List for 2012 - Asian Television Awards". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  24. "Asian Television Awards 2012". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  25. "ProMaxBDA Asia Awards 2012". Promax Awards. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  26. Ben 10 sweeps aside competition in Asia "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-02-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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