By Peter Covino

Entertainment Editor

Remember The Blob?

We're talking the original red-jelly Blob from the 1950s, that terrorized and ate all those movie theater patrons more than 50 years ago.

In one pivotal scene, the high school principal actually had to think a few seconds (with an accompanying dramatic soundtrack) whether or not he should dare break the glass on the locked doors of the school to get the fire extinguishers needed to "ice down" the horrible Blob.

Fast forward to 2011 and there are new aliens afoot in a small town high school in I Am Number Four, and by the time this modern battle is over, about the only thing left of the high school are maybe a few doors. With broken windows of course.

The old high school principal certainly wouldn't be able to cope with this new breed of alien. And neither could the Blob for that matter.

I think I would still rather watch The Blob, but I Am Number Four, out Tuesday from Walt Disney Home Entertainment, is still a lot of mindless fun.

John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is Number Four in this bad alien vs. good alien film. Smith, (well, of course that isn't his real name) is one of nine original survivors from some distant planet who now live (or used to) on Earth. Another group of aliens, who destroyed their Number Four's home planet, now have their eyes on our little world. They have already killed Numbers One, Two and Three. Once they can get rid of Four through Nine, the planet will be theirs for the taking.

But they weren't counting on Number Four and his groomer/protector, played by Timothy Oliphant.

There is nothing really too remarkable about I Am Number Four. We have seen much of this before - The fighting aliens; the young alien in hiding trying to pass as a typical high school student, with all the typical high school student problems; the high school nerd (nicely played by Callan McAuliffe) who he befriends; the pretty girl he is attracted to and the high school bully who tries to make both his and the nerd's life miserable.

John hardly has time to straighten his high school life out when the aliens find out his newest hiding place. And the war begins.

I Am Number Four was aimed squarely at the teen market when it opened earlier this year, but wasn't greeted particularly warmly at the box office. It should have done better. It is certainly more entertaining than anything the Twilight series has to offer.

This is also supposed to be the first film in a franchise. There are after all, Numbers Five, Seven, Eight and Nine that we have yet to meet. We do meet Number Six. It will be interesting to see whether Dreamworks, the film's distributor, wants to continue the adventure.

I Am Number Four, aside from being entertaining, is also a good choice for the home entertainment theater. It looks outstanding in Blu-ray and has some good sound editing as well.

Bonus features on the Blu-ray include deleted scenes and bloopers.