Alien at the Movies

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

This Pixar animated Fantasy/Western/Natural Disaster/Coming of Age/Dinosaur film poses the question: What if that meteor, 65 million years ago, missed the earth & the dinosaurs survived & evolved? Arlo was born as the timid runt of the dinosaur litter to a  corn farming family. When he becomes lost in the wilds, he ends up teaming up with his wolf-boy enemy for survival & to finding his way home. The animation is absolutely amazing and stunning. This charming fun film is about facing your fears & finding your family. One caution for the very young kiddies: beware scenes of peril & the circle of life theme.

The Pixar animated short, "Sanjay's Super Team" which precedes the main attraction, is about a young boy's conflict between idolizing modern superheroes & accepting his dad's beliefs in traditional Hindu deities.

Alien gives it 3 ½ "making your mark" stars out of 4.

Secret In Their Eyes

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

Colleagues (Julia Roberts, Chiwetel Ejiofor, & Nicole Kidman) at a counter terrorism task force are involved in a murder mystery that directly impacts one of their own. Told in flashbacks, these three individuals stay connected by guilt, regret, obsession, & this now 13-year-old cold case.  Will the prime suspect get away with murder? Is someone blinded by their own obsession? Is there a conspiracy to cover up the truth? Is the victim just a casualty of the war on terrorism? Will justice be served? The movie feels a bit muddled & even buries a little romance that we don't actually see on screen, but the film may still keep you guessing outcome until the end.  

Alien gives it 2 ½ "Pacman" stars out of 4.

Legend

Set in the 1960s London, it's the true story of the Kray twins, Reggie, the gangster prince of the East End & Ron, the one-man mob. Tom Hardy is outstanding playing both brothers convincingly: one who is classy on the surface but all gangster underneath & the other is a violent psychopath with paranoid schizophrenic tendencies. Be very scared if either one of these boys gives you a funny look because they can brutally explode all over you. Through intimidation and payoffs they plot to rule London. Underneath the violence is the love story for a woman & for a brother. Alien felt the acting was exceptional, the violence extreme, & the accents a little hard to follow. 

Alien gives it 3 "lemon sherbets & mother's little helpers" stars out of 4. 

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

This is the true story of the 2010 Chilean mine disaster trapping 33 men 2,300 feet underground and the monumental effort to rescue them. Antonio Banderas stars as "Super" Mario, the leader trying to keep morale up and his people alive little food. As days pass, emotions run high below and above ground and the expectations of any survivors grow dim. Even if you don't know about this event televised world-wide, it's not hard to guess the predictable outcome of this inspirational story of man's power of survival under extreme conditions & never giving up hope. Pictures & film footage of the real people portrayed are shown at the end of the film.

Alien gives it 3 "Mineral San Jose" stars out of 4.

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

Four generations of Coopers gather for their annual holiday meal each dragging their own personal baggage to the dinner table. This all-star cast includes Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, Ed Helms, Alan Arkin, June Squibb, Amanda Seyfried, & Anthony Mackie.   It's their love/hate relationship that binds them together & drives each other crazy. You'll laugh & you'll cry with the Coopers as they stress though this special time of year. In the end, they realize the true meaning of family & the holiday spirit.

Alien gives it 3 "secrets & lies" stars out of 4.

Upset that their parents (James Brolin & Dianne Wiest) are downsizing & selling their childhood home, two sisters, one loose & childish and one uptight & divorced (Tina Fey & Amy Poehler), decide to throw one last wild bash there. Fey & Poehler are hilarious as struggling adult siblings trying to recapture their high school party days and find a new direction in life. John Leguizamo, John Cena, and many SNL cast members join in this outrageous house party gone wrong. This film is rated "R" for drugs, sexual content, & language. Fey & Poehler have great comedic timing & chemistry together and make this raunchy romp work.

Alien gives it 3 "Ellis Island Revamped" stars out of 4

Let the 76th Hunger Games begin. In this 4th & final Hunger Games film, the rebels from the districts united and try to take the Capitol. This is an action-packed special effects driven thriller with our squad of heroes on a suicide mission to eliminate President Snow while facing booby traps & danger lurking around every corner. Who will die & who will survive? Will Katniss become a martyr for the cause or will she finally find happiness after being exploited as a political pawn? 

Alien gives it 3 "Holo & the Pods" stars out of 4.

Three best friends, an orphan, an expecting father, & a jock, (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan, & Anthony Mackie) decide to celebrate one last Christmas Eve reunion together ending their 14 year tradition of debauchery & hilarity. This is a politically incorrect film that pokes fun at Xmas holiday themes, celebrity athletes, parenthood, and relationships. Michael Shannon steals his scenes as Mr. Green who takes each of our guys on a trip with the weed of Christmas past, present, & future. This raunchy Christmasy romp is rated "R" for some nudity, sexual content, drug use, and language. Look for some surprise faces to pop up. If you like your holiday seasonal films untraditional and "Bad Santa" funny, this movie maybe be somewhere on your naughty or nice list.

Alien gives it 2 ½ "Nutcracker Ball" stars out of 4.

Growing up in foster homes, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) has a chip on his shoulder & is always getting himself into fights until he learns he is the son of Apollo Creed & is taken in by Apollo's wife (Phylicia Rashad). This is a Rocky-esque story as it pays tribute to the Balboa/Creed films returning to Micky's gym in Philadelphia & that classic underdog setup. Of course, Sylvester Stalone is terrific reprising role as the aging Rocky but now becomes Adonis' trainer. This is essentially a reboot with a twist.

Alien gives it 3 "Baby Creed, False Creed, or the Real Deal" stars out of 4.

This is an inspirational story about a young man who was thought to be too short to play football but his spirit & determination was too big to stop him. Freddie Joe Steinmark (Finn Wittrock) was a young man with a plan who always gave 110% to fulfill his visions. Steinmark was the child, sibling, friend, player, and teammate that everyone wish they had. This is Wittrock's second real life portrayal of an incredible individual of inner strength & faith (Unbroken) and he nails it again. This movie is also a terrific football story capturing some of college football's climatic moments in history. Some photos & a clip of Freddie Steinmark play at the end of the movie.

Alien gives it 3 ½ "Hook 'em Longhorns" stars out of 4.

Brooklyn

A naive good Catholic Irish girl (Saoirse Ronan) leaves her hometown, sister & mother for America with the hopes of finding a better life. She settles in Brooklyn living at a boarding house & working at an upscale department store but becomes terribly homesick. This early 1950's period piece has humor, drama, and romance. Ronan's performance is outstanding as she endears her character with great depth & strength. It's a terrific story about a person torn between two countries & two people and wondering what if.

Alien gives it 3 "boarding house girls looking for love" stars out of 4.

SPECTRE

Bond is back with a bang and "Skyfall" had set the tone for rebooting the franchise story arc. Daniel Craig as 007 seems to be on an unsanctioned mission and the double-oh program is in jeopardy of being shut down. Also back are Bond's colleagues, Moneypenny, Q (the quartermaster) and the new M (Mallory). Christoph Waltz plays the villain behind the secret organization SPECTRE that is bent on world domination and David Bautista is the henchman brute. A new character referred to as C joins the espionage alphabet soup. Designed for today's action thrill seeking audiences, the film is loaded with big over the top explosions and high impact fight scenes. The plot reaches back to connect to Craig's first three 007 efforts as well as to some classic Bond films including "From Russia with Love" & "Goldfinger".  The locales are spectacular as Bond globe hops from Mexico City to London to Rome to Austria to Tangier and then back to London. At nearly 2 ½ hours, it feels a bit long. Although this is Craig's fourth Bond film, it feels more like the middle episode of a "Skyfall" trilogy with hopes that Waltz's character will return unhampered my his short leash here.

Alien gives it 3 "Dia de Muerte" stars out of 4.

Miss You Already

Jess (Drew Barrymore) and Milly (Toni Collette) are childhood best friends who's lives take dramatic turns in a tearjerker that will undoubtedly be compared to the 1988 film "Beaches". However, this is more quicksand than "Beaches". The foundation for their friendship is sped through so quickly that Alien didn't feel their connection. The film jumps too quickly & often to the uncomfortable side of cancer & pregnancy/childbirth which it tries to defuse with some moments of humor. Collette's performance is terrific, but her character is too self-centered to be likable. Some will just love this hanky dampening chick flick drama, but some will find it too cliche & depressing. 

Alien gives it 2 ½ "Wuthering Heights" stars out of 4.

Room

Ripped straight out of the headlines, it's shades of Jaycee Dugard told through the mouths of babes. The film starts out mysteriously with a mother (Brie Larson) and her 5-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), living in a one room confinement as the true story slowly unfolds. Larson & Tremblay are both excellent as the people trying to survive in this unnatural world. She is a mom willing to do anything to protect her child and he is childhood innocence that can't relate to anything outside of the room, his only real world. It's a great psychological drama about the effects of this tragic event on all the people involved. This thought provoking movie may give you a different perspective on this heart breaking situation. Joan Allen & Bill Macy have small but key roles.

Alien gives it 3 "strength through Sampson's hair" stars out of 4.

Peanuts Movie (3D)

Charles Schulz's classic comic strip and TV special characters make their first computer generated appearance on the big screen. The plot centers around the endearing Charlie Brown who perseveres through all adversities & the lovable Snoopy who leads us on his imaginative adventures. The film is a tribute to Schulz's body of work that has brought much joy & laughter to many for decades. If you are a Peanuts fan, there are no surprises here but it feels like a reunion getting reacquainted with some old friends from your past. This movie still embodies this spirit, charm, and humor of the Peanuts gang. The new generation may not recognize a typewriter or a corded phone but it's still definitely a family film.

Alien gives it 3 "compassionate, honest, brave, kind, & funny" stars out of 4.