Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990                   TAG: 9004280335
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LOU CEDRONE The Baltimore Evening Sun
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

`SPACED INVADERS' IS A BIT BEHIND THE TIMES

Fortunately, "Spaced Invaders" also has about five lines that reach for the adults in the audience. That may not be enough to persuade parents to sit all the way through this feature, but that's five more laughs than "Turtles" has for adults.

"Spaced Invaders" has a group of dimwitted Martians drop in on the little town of Big Bean, Ill., on the day the local radio station is doing a rebroadcast of the 1938 Orson Welles "War of the Worlds."

This leads to all manner of confusion, and because the town is also celebrating Halloween, none of the citizens takes the invaders seriously. They've seen similar costumes.

When the townspeople go after the Martians, Kathy (Ariana Richards), 10-year-old daughter of the town sheriff (Douglas Barr), joins forces with Brian (J.J. Anderson), a young man who is dressed as a duck. They have met the Martians. They like them, and they want to see them get back to Mars safely.

Standing in their way are the deputy sheriff, the local businessman who wants to own the whole town and a Martian police machine that intends to take the aliens out into space and blow them all away.

The special effects and costumes in "Spaced Invaders" aren't as good as they are in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," but the actors inside the costumes are funnier.

They are, however, a little behind the times. When they talk about attacking Earth, one lists the hardware they have. "And all Earth has is John Wayne," he says. `Spaced Invaders' Rated PG, 95 minutes long. Playing at Valley View Mall (362-8219) and Salem Valley 8 (389-0444).