Alien at the Movies

About Fate

This is story of Margot (Emma Roberts) & Griffin (Thomas Mann), two strangers who live in different communities of the same apartment complex. He is a lawyer & she is a realtor. It’s December 30. He is planning to propose to his girlfriend Clementine & she hopes to be proposed to by her boyfriend Kip. However, Fate has other plans for Margot & Griffin. They cross paths at the same restaurant & thus begins their comedy of errors begins in this romantic comedy. Margot & Kip breakup. A drunken mistake leads to Griffin pretending to be Margot’s boyfriend at her sister’s wedding. Griffin is a hit at wedding until the ruse is exposed. True to the genre, Margot & Griffin fall in love with each others.

Alien gives it 3 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s & pink coat” stars out of 4.

Heads of State

It’s “The Odd Couple” meets “Air Force One” meets “Safe House” as the U.S. President & the British Prime Minister are being hunted down in a revenge plot by a Russian arms dealer. John Cena, Ildris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, & Paddy Constantine star in this action thriller with a sense of humor. Jack Quaid has a supporting role. A botched CIA/MI6 mission sets off the events leading to two Heads of State who don’t see eye to eye & must then bond together for survival. With stolen tech, the bad guys seem to be constantly on their trail. Also there seems to a mole working behind the scenes & needs to be uncovered. It’s guilty pleasure, eye candy popping action to thrill the audience & with touches of humor to ease the tension. Look for one last bar scene at the end.

Alien gives it 2½ “puns & sheep nipples” stars out of 4.

F1: The Movie

Moviegoers & car race fans, buckle up, start your engines, & hang on tight for quite a thrill ride. Filmmakers put you in the driver seat of a Formula 1 race car. It’s the experienced has-been racer Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) versus the hotshot arrogant rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) fighting for position on their Expensify APXGP F1 race team. Sonny was a promising but cocky competitor until he had a serious race car accident 30 years ago that sidelined his F1 dreams. Now he is a nomad & driver-for-hire when his old racing teammate, now a F1 team owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), searches out Sonny for a spot on his team. The APXGP F1 team is struggling & may lose their investors. After his first couple of Grand Prix races, Sonny is labeled as reckless on the track & seemingly is not a team player. The action on the course is intense & exhilarating. However, this film has a lot going on off the track too… the dynamics between the racers, the racing team, the owner, the investors, & the media press. This film manages to squeeze in a little romance too. There is more to racing than what goes on the track. See the strategies being played out to win the race. Could Plan C stand for Chaos? What motivates Sonny if it is not the fame nor the money? F1 is A1.

Alien gives it 4 “keep your head down & drive” stars out of 4. 

M3GAN 2.0

It’s shades of “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” when a new killer robot shows up after the events in 2022’s “M3GAN”. Niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is now 12 & interested in studying computer science. Aunt Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author & an advocate for artificial intelligence regulations. Having dealt with M3GAN gone rogue, Gemma cautiously keeps her pet project trapped in a harmless but still active small robotic doll. No longer working at FUNKi, Gemma & her team members, Tess & Cole, run their own non-profit business. However, a military defense contractor has hacked into the supposedly deleted M3GAN software files in order to weaponize a new tool for the military, AMELIA. Of course, apparently it goes rogue too. So Gemma & Cady are forced to resurrect M3GAN with some upgrades to defeat AMELIA. This sequel is a wild sci-fi action thrill ride with many twists & turns where you are never sure where the plot is going & who are the bad guys. Also this film has a fun & funny sense of humor that will make you laugh & chuckle before it blasts you with some intense action stunts. As M3GAN says in the movie… hold on to your vagina! The BITCH is back. Did you miss her? Star Wars’ Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) is terrific as the new robotic femme fatale. The filmmakers have definitely kicked it up a notch or two. This is the story about second chances. Will this be the last time we see these killer bots? Only time & box office receipts will tell..

Alien gives it 3½ “paperclip & kill switch” stars out of 4.

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.