Alien at the Movies

Snow White

This is Disney’s live action remake of their classic 1937 “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”. It follows the same basic storyline with a few little tweaks here and there. Rachel Zegler & Gal Gadot are casted as princess Snow White & the stepmother/evil queen. Most should be well acquainted with the plot unless you have been in a long sleep having bitten into a spellbound poison apple. Jealous evil queen orders Snow White to be killed because the Magic Mirror says Snow’s beauty outshines her own, but the Huntsman, the Seven Dwarfs, & true love’s kiss foils  the Queen’s plans. This Snow White has a bit of a rebel warrior spirit in her. Her true love is no longer a prince, but a leader of bandits living in the forest (think Robin Hood). This version is more of a revenge plot. I️ get what the filmmakers are trying to do here, but it lacks the charm of the 1937 version. The film is well-made, but feels overproduced & overplayed… too big & grand… lacking the soul of Disney’s original. I️ liked the CGI  animals, very fitting to typical Disney created creatures. However, the CGI dwarfs seemed more creepy than lovable. The musical/dance numbers added little to the entertainment value & seemed to drone on at times for me.

Alien gives it 2 “diamond dagger” stars out of 4.

Ferrari

This is the story of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), the ex-race car driver who founded the famous Ferrari car manufacturing company. Set in 1957 Italy, this film follows his personal & professional life. It deals with his complicated relationships with his wife Laura (Penelope Cruz) & his mistress Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley), his business troubles, & his drive for success and need to be in control. It’s a fascinating story about the complexities of life facing this man. This film features a big cross country race that make or break the Ferrari brand.

Alien gives it 3 “deadly passion & terrible joy” stars out of 4.

Exterritorial

Sara Wulf & her 6-year-old son Josh enter the American Consulate in Frankfort to obtain a work permit. Sara is a former special forces soldier with PTSD who has gotten a job offer from a security company in America. After waiting over 3 hours without being seen yet, Josh is bored & someone recommended a kids playroom down the hall. Sara leaves him for 5 minutes when he turns up missing. Sara becomes frantic & no one believes her story. They claim she came in alone. Is she being gaslighted? If so, why? Or is she experiencing a PTSD episode? Most of the film invokes Sara escaping, evading, & fighting off security. She meets a mystery women who seems to be held there in captivity. Much is shrouded in secrecy to keep the audience guessing. Adding to the confusion of this German-made film is that it’s dubbed in English & that Sara is actually of German descent married to an American. The situations all seem a bit too far fetched to be believable, but just sit back & enjoy the ride. Exterritorial refers to the American Consulate being out of the German government’s jurisdiction so Sara must fend for herself.

Alien gives it 2 “Safe Room & an eye for an eye” stars out of 4.

Cleaner

It’s shades of Nakatomi Tower, John McClane, & “Die Hard” as an eco-activist group takes over a big energy company’s shareholders gala & threatens to expose their corrupt activities. But things go from bad to worse when a radical anti-humanist infiltrator declares his own hostile takeover. However, no one accounts for the plucky window cleaner, Joey (Daisy Ridley). Joey has already been having a bad morning because Michael, her autistic older brother, just got himself kicked out of his 9th living care facility. Thus getting her in trouble for being late to work. With her stuck on the outside & her brother trapped inside, she must get in to save her brother & the hostages. The police have the building surrounded but their hands are tied due to the hostages being held. Fortunately, Joey’s former military training serves her well as she tries to gain control of the situation. It’s not Christmas time but Yippee Kai Yay, mother f**ker.

Alien gives it 2½ “deadman switch” stars out of 4.

Feel the Beat

A small town girl, April, with Broadway dreams breaks up with her boyfriend, Nick, & moves to New York City. When she blows a dance auction & also gets evicted, she returns home to her dad embarrassed at her lack of success. Her old friend, Barb, suggests April could stop by Barb’s dance studio & give her little girls some pointers. Still feeling down, she declines until she realizes there is an opportunity to revive her career. This is a romantic comedy with a “Bad News Bears” dance team trying to win Nationals. The plot involves abandonment issues, being self-centered selfish, commitment promises, & rallying as a family/village. This is a feel good fun family film.

Alien gives it 3 “Dirty Dancing Lift” stars out of 4.

Straw

This is the sad story of Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson). She is a black single mom working 2 jobs in an effort to make ends meet. She has a sick 8-year-old daughter, Aria, who suffers from seizures & needs her medications. In this psychological crime drama, Janiyah is having an extremely bad day. She is late on her rent & is risking eviction. She can’t afford Aria’s $40 school lunch bill. A road rage incident gets her a ticket, her car impounded, & threaten. She has an unsympathetic boss who won’t give her a break. While trying to pick up her check & cashing it, she gets involved with a robbery, murder, & a bank heist. She is a good person caught making some poor choices in difficult situations. She is a desperate woman pushed past her breaking point, the “last straw”. This story is about misjudging people & the situations. It is intense drama as police, FBI, hostages, news reporters, & social media get involved. The big question here is how is this story going to end. Just as you may think you have figured it out, the surprise twists come. This movie is produced, written, & directed by Tyler Perry.

Alien gives it 3 “ nobody sees me” stars out of 4. 

Dangerous Animals

Just in time for “Jaws” 50th anniversary, comes another horror shark movie. A shark cage diving couple & a surfer  girl become shark bait for an apex predator. Do you have a fear of sharks? How do you feel about blood & gore? This disturbingly sadistic film is not for the faint of heart. The poor victims here are at the mercy of a maniacal monster. This is a torturous film to agonizingly sit through hoping things don’t get worse & a rescue might come at any moment. But with every light at end of the tunnel, comes another shroud of darkness. Audiences will feel cuffed to their seats unable to help. Who will be fed to the sharks & who will survive? This is an extremely intense film with twists that you don’t want to see coming.The villain is exquisitely evil. If you enjoy the shark cage diving experience, you might actually like this film. 

Alien gives it 3 “Baby Shark & One Night Stand” stars out of 4.

Karate Kid: Legends

Boy & mom move to new town. New start. New school. Picked on by a bully. Enter a tournament with the help of a mentor. If you are familiar with 1984 “The Karate Kid”, you’ll know the basic storyline. This is kind of a reversal to the 2010 Jaden Smith/Jackie Chan remake. Li Fong (Ben Wang) & his mom (Ming-Na Wen) move from Beijing to New York City. Li feels like an outsider in a strange country. He makes one friend Mia (Sadie Stanley). Li gets bullied by Mia’s ex, Connor (Aramis Knight). Li’s mom doesn’t want him involved with any fighting due to a past tragic event. Li gets himself in more trouble trying to help Mia’s family. Li ends up entering the 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament with the help of Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) & Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio). This is a nostalgic nod to the original & the remake giving new meaning to “two branches, one tree”. This is a fun family film. Look for a surprise cameo  near the films end.

ps. The subway turnstile scene is reminiscent of the many retakes it sometimes takes Jackie Chan to perfect his stunt for a film.

Ballerina

There is a newcomer entering into the wild world of John Wick. She is Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a small statured female. So how is she going to hold up against all of those macho strong tough thugs that John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is usually pitted up against? As a child, young Eve witnesses her dad being executed by professional assassins.  Now scarred for life, she is introduced to Winston (Ian McShane) & the Director (Angelica Huston) who takes her under their wings. She begins her ballet lessons as well as training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Thoughts of revenge drives Eve to break the rules & upset the truce between 2 “tribes”. Expect to see & experience all of those insane “John Wick” type fight scenes as filmmakers escalate their wild imagination. The time frame here is actually set between John Wick chapters 3 & 4. Fans of the John Wick franchise will not be disappointed. Sit down, buckle up, & hang on tight.

Alien gives it 3½ “change, adapt, improvise, & cheat” stars out of 4.

How To Train Your Dragon

The Viking village of Berk is plagued by dragons. The dragons steal their sheep & burn their homes. These Vikings refuse to leave their village, continue to rebuild their homes, & defend against these attacks. Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) is the chieftain & leader. His son Hiccup is more of an inventor than a warrior to the disappointment to his father. In his attempt to kill a Night Fury dragon, Hiccup learns about dragon behavior & bonds with one he calls Toothless. This knowledge helps him to save his village & build a new understanding about dragons. This live action remake follows the blueprint of the 2010 animated movie. Filmmakers did a great job of casting look a-likes to match the original characters. The locales selected as the backdrops were beautiful. This is a great family film.

Alien gives it  3½ “Being yourself & making the world better” stars out of 4.