Alien at the Movies

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

The inner thoughts & emotional feelings of a 15-year-old girl are revealed in this brutally honest coming of age story. It's San Francisco 1976 where Minnie Goetz (Bel Powley) is searching for love & attention. Powley is marvelous as the naive & insecure teen who thinks she has found love in her divorced mom's (Kristen Wiig in a non-comedic role) boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgård). Experience the highs & lows a young girl with self image issues as she rushes too quickly into womanhood & explores her sexuality. Her budding cartoonist dreams creatively extend themselves visually from her imagination right onto to the big screen. Through this temporal trip down memory lane, relive the rotary phone, typewriter, cassette tape recorder, Polaroid camera, phone booth, scarves over lamps, and acid trips. Rated "R" for language, nudity, sexual content, and drug use. 

Alien gives it 3 "growing up too fast" stars out of 4.

It's "Grumpy Old Men" meets "Wild" when a popular travel author, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford), approaching his retiring years becomes determined to hike the Appalachian Trail, but his wife, Catherine (Emma Thompson), refuses to allow him to go alone until his long lost friend, Stephen Katz  (Nick Nolte), from 40 years ago asks to join him on this 2,000 mile journey from Georgia to Maine. This very funny buddy bonding film features nature's majestic beauty & enormity as it dominates over man's smallness in comparison. See whether these two unprepared old guys are up to this six month challenge. This is a true story based on the book of the same name by Bill Bryson.

Alien gives it 3 "pushing yourself forward" stars out of 4. 

Real life couple, Noah Baumbach (writer/director) & Greta Gerwig (writer/star) collaborate in this indie comedy about breakups & love/hate relationships. A lonely college freshman Tracy (Lola Kirke) escapes to New York City and hangs out & bonds with her future step-sister Brooke (Gerwig), an enterprising entrepreneur. It is a quirky dialog-driven comedy that will probably have limited appeal. Alien expects the general public will be bored by lives of these 2 main characters who are just trying to find themselves. Plus the title "Mistress America" will likely confuse people as to what this film is really about.

Alien gives it 2 "zen master or psychopath" stars out of 4.

Hitman: Agent 47

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

Based on a video game with shades of "Dark Angel", this reboot of a 2007 film flop features a shaved-headed bar-code-tattooed genetically-enhanced assassin (Rupert Friend) in competition with a John Smith (Zachary Quinto) to find a mystery woman Katia (Hannah Ware) who may be the key to resurrecting the super-assassin program. The film showcases stylized shoot 'em up action in slick settings & exotic locales. It's entertaining eye-candy with a few holes in the plot like the bodies left in the wake of this cool calm emotionless killer's path. If you jump out of your seat too soon as credits begin to roll, you may miss an eye opening moment.

Alien gives it 2 ½ "sub-dermal body armor" stars out of 4. 

Ironically, Owen Wilson's businessman character, Jack Dwyer, finds himself more or less in the same situation as his navy navigator role in 2001's "Behind Enemy Lines", his last dramatic role, except he has his family in tow this time. A new job has Jack relocating to Southeast Asia with his wife (Lake Bell) & 2 daughters when a coup breaks out where foreigners are being shot on sight. This is an extremely intense & heart pounding thrill ride as the situation quickly goes from very bad to unimaginably worse. The plot is quite simple, just escape to safe haven, but it is a terrifying experience, not knowing what's around each surprising corner. From the get go, the chance meeting with Pierce Brosnan's mystery man character, Hammond, is suspicious & you know he will reappear & play some significant part. So what would you do to protect your family? Do you believe foreign corporations are assisting or exploiting the people in third world countries?

Alien gives it 3 ½ "trying to stay 10 steps ahead" stars out of 4.

The Gift

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

After moving back to his hometown from Chicago, a chance meeting with a childhood schoolmate instigates a series of more encounters that seem to get creepier & creepier. "Weirdo Gordo" (Joel Edgerton) & "Simple Simon" (Jason Bateman) share a dark secret from their past and Simon's wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) is caught in the middle. Edgerton writes, directs, and stars in this psychological thriller with a few twists & turns that will have you guessing. 

Alien gives it 3 "people who live in glass houses" stars out of 4.

Straight Outta Compton

It started with five angry young men from Compton who just wanted to be heard through their music. This powerful and intense story is about the rise and split up of the gangsta rap group N.W.A. featuring Eazy-E, Ice Cube, & Doctor Dre. Growing up with police harassment & brutality in their neighborhood has influenced and impacted their controversial explicit lyrics. Audiences will be treated to a detailed look at the people behind the music that rocked the nation during the Rodney King era. Non rap fan Alien did enjoy their music under the context of this movie. Of course this 2 ½ hour film is rated "R" for the violence, drugs, nudity, and language embedded in the lives of these gangsta rappers. The acting is superb and feels brutally honest by the young talent. O'Shea Jackson perfectly captures his dad's (Ice Cube) essence. 

Alien gives it 3 ½ "reality rapping" stars out of 4.

Infinitely Polar Bear

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

Set in 1978 Cambridge, this indie dramedy is about a mom who goes back to school in New York in order to earn a better living but must leave her two daughters with their manic depressant/bipolar father. This Hollywood sounding plot is actually based on the true story of writer/director Maya Forbes who casts her own daughter to play herself. Zoe Saldana is the mom trying desperately to do what's best for her kids. Mark Ruffalo is amazing as the mentally ill dad who dearly loves his kids but is prone to fits of rage when he becomes overwhelmed. The two girls are absolutely adorable and your heart will pour out for them as they must deal with their difficult dad. It is a good emotional roller coaster ride.

Alien gives it 3 "personal storytelling" stars out of 4.

Fantastic Four

Twentieth Century Fox gambles on a Fantastic Four reboot with some twists & a younger team. This is the Ultimate Marvel Universe version, not the original 1960's comic book story. It's still the story of how Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), Sue Storm (Kate Mara), & Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) got their powers with a glimpse at their childhood. By the end, they must battle Victor von Doom to save the world. The special effects looked pretty good but wished they didn't come so late in the show. The team doesn't even pick out their name until the end. This movie was good but not fantastic. Though, Alien liked this darker tale better than the 2005 version. Hopefully, there will be a sequel that will showcase their powers more and feature a new villain.

Alien gives it 2 ½ "adoption twist" stars out of 4.

Ricki and the Flash

An estranged wife & mother (Meryl Streep) who left her family years ago to follow her rock & roll dreams returns to her conservative mid-western family when her daughter has a crisis. Diablo Cody's screenplay about reconnecting is predictable and contrived but entertaining. it's poor vs rich, liberal vs conservative, new wife vs ex-wife, a divorce, a wedding, a moody cray-cray daughter (Streep's real life daughter, Mamie Gummer), and a gay son. Is there any role that Streep can't play? Streep is up to the challenge of portraying the aging rocker enjoying her craft & playing her heart out in a seedy Tarzana bar. Streep with Rick Springfield sing quite a few numbers. 

Alien gives it 2 ½ "a mother's regret & redemption" stars out of 4.

Shaun the Sheep

It's "The Great Escape" meets "Chicken Run" meets "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when Shaun the sheep tires of the mundane day to day routine and plots for a day off but things get quickly out of hand. A run away trailer, a case of amnesia, and a persistent animal control officer lead Shaun and company on a wild and crazy adventure in the Big City. This stop action animation is hilarious fun relying on sight gags because it's sans dialogue. This family film entertains both young and old. After the credits, look for two short clips. 

Alien gives it 3 ½ "Mossy Bottoms" stars out of 4.