Ben 10 - Alien Swarm (DVD disc)

The live-action feature Ben 10: Alien Swarm is a solid and action-packed addition to the animated series' growing universe, and a definite improvement over the previous feature, 2007's Ben 10: Race Against Time. Ryan Kelley takes over as Ben, who here contends with both an army of living, parasitic microchips and a former crush (Alyssa Diaz) whose missing father has a connection to both the chips and Ben's grandpa/boss, Max (Barry Corbin). Alex Winter returns as director and producer, and he's clearly enjoying the increased budget (as evidenced by the improved special effects, a major stumbling block for Race Against Time) and more serious script; the result remains faithful to the Ben 10 mythology while capably holding its own as enjoyable, family-friendly tween sci-fi entertainment.