Alien at the Movies

It's "Fatal Attraction" meets "Obsessed" when ex-wife Tessa (Katherine Heigl) plots to take back her daughter & her former husband from the new girlfriend Julia (Rosario Dawson). The film is fairly predictable for the genre with an unsuspecting vulnerable prey, a clueless boyfriend/ex-husband, an innocent child, & an obsessive controlling conniving crazy lady. It takes a while set up all the pieces of this carefully contrived house of cards before the inevitable clamatic big cat fight scene where the evil plan falls apart. Heigel's devilish performance makes it fun to watch as you feel her internal rage boil over & push her to cross the line into insanity. Tessa's mother (Cheryl Ladd) gives some insights to her daughter's disturbing behavior. One last visitor at the doorbell playfully hints at a possible haunting sequel, but it's hardly likely. Almost laughable is a totally unnecessary sequence contrasting a couple's impromptu sexual encounter & a self masturbation scene.

Alien gives it 3 "crazy psychotic bitch" stars out of 4.