Alien at the Movies

When the evil forces of the Storm King invade Equestria, Twilight Sprinkle & the Mane 6 escape to search for help. They visit new lands & make new friends so they can return home & restore order. This is a charming animated film targeting little girls with an affinity for ponies with cutesy names & colorful coats and manes. The young will learn a lesson on friendship. There is not much here for the adults except to watch the joy in the young faces. 

Alien gives it 2 "broken unicorn horn" stars out of 4.

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

A middle aged man Brad (Ben Stiller) on a tour of prospective colleges for his son begins to reevaluate his life. He runs a nonprofit company & becomes envious of his successful classmates. This is a slow moving film featuring the inner thought ramblings of a man reflecting on his past & looking at his son's future. Stiller pretty much behaves like he does in all his movies except this one doesn't seem to be a comedy. 

Alien gives it 1½ "the grass is always greener on the other side" stars out of 4.

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

Five ambitious & competitive medical students run secret experiments on revival after death. However, they are not prepared for the side effects. Is this a remake or a sequel to the 1990 classic with the same title? Actor Kieffer Sutherland starred in the original & has an extended cameo in this latest version. He claims this is a sequel but there seemingly is no evidence to support his claim. Ellen Page & Diego Luna are the big name draws. This one is not bad but it's not an improvement over the original.

Alien gives it 2 "morbid curiosity" stars out of 4.

TWA airline pilot Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) is recruited by the CIA to provide clandestine aerial reconnaissance photographs over South America in this biographical crime drama/comedy based on a true story. Before long, Seal finds himself over his head involved in drug smuggling, gun running, & money laundering while dealing with the likes of Pablo Escobar & Manual Noriega, the DEA, the ATF, the FBI, & the State police. Is this story so unbelievable that filmmakers decided it could only be told as a dark comedy? Were parts of this plot fictionalized to paint this character in a better light in order to lure Cruise to the role? Or are all of the real details still classified? Nevertheless, it's entertaining behind the scenes look during those dark days of the Iran-Contra Affair & Sandinistas.

Alien gives it 3 "the gringo who always delivers" stars out of 4.

In 1973, a historic exhibition tennis match between the then number one woman tennis player Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) & self proclaimed male chauvinist pig Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as the "Battle of the Sexes". This is a fascinating look back at the women's movement for equality as well as a peek into the private  lives of these two key players in this huge televised match. Both Stone & Carell marvelously pull off portrayals of these two iconic figures. The film effectively recreates the tension of their famous showdown as well as layout the how's & why's that led to their match. See how issues of sexual preference & gambling effected their lives. With a sense of humor & a great sound track, it's a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Look for summary captions & legitimizing photos at the end.

Alien gives it 3½ "women's rights versus showman hustler" stars out of 4.

Seemingly, there is a peaceful idyllic family living community set in this 1959 suburb, but upon closer inspection, all is not right in this dark comedy written by the Coen brothers under the direction of George Clooney and starring Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, & Oscar Isaac. This is a twisted tale involving murder, violent thugs, possible insurance fraud, blackmail, & deceit with ugly side of racism seeming to only serve as a distraction. The film perfectly captures the look & the feel of the fifties but it is a dreadfully slow moving mystery with unlikable characters. It is so dark that barely any humor ever seems to come to light. For this reviewer, about the only saving grace was the final sense of irony. Maybe Suburbicon here should have been called Disturbia.

Alien gives it 1½ "dirty little secrets" stars out of 4.

Suicide, black mirrors, black wasps... Oh my!

It's a more dynamic version of the dreadfully awful 2015 "Unfriended" for those social media fanatics who are looking for some teenage horror thrills. This was a 2016 German supernatural-psychological horror film that was ironically originally titled "Unfriended". Popular college girl Laura befriends a peculiar new girl Marina because she had no on-line friends; only to regret it later & ends up unfriending her. From there, it's race for Laura to save her friends & family from some horrible deaths. It's about par for the course for this type of low budget thrill & scare with a classic horror conclusion.

Alien gives it 2½ "predictable countdown" stars out of 4.

Kingsman agents Eggsy (Taron Egerton), Harry (Colin Firth), & Merlin (Mark Strong) are back to team up with their American cousins from the Statesman, Tequila (Channing Tatum), Ginger Ale (Halle Berry), Whiskey ( Pedro Pascal), & Champagne (Jeff Bridges) to battle new villain, Poppy (Julianne Moore) & her Golden Circle organization. This comedy/action spy thriller written & directed by Matthew Vaughn is a stylish over-the-top black comedy with outrageous action sequences & a bit of gore & grossness to make you wince. Moore plays an insanely funny villain with a deadly henchman & a pair of terrifying guard dogs.  Expect some nifty spy gadgets. Elton John playing himself steals his scenes in a super-sized cameo style role. Not seeing the original film won't hinder your enjoyment here, although you may not realize several of the sequel tie-ins. 

Alien gives it 3½ "Arm-ageddon" stars out of 4.

It's "Power Rangers" meets "Pacific Rim" meets "Godzilla", only brick builders style. If you enjoyed the first 2 LEGO movies, you'll probably like this one too. It's family entertainment fun for the young & the old. Sub-stories about parent/child & student/mentor relationships underlie this computer animated action adventure/comedy. Brick building enthusiasts will appreciate the fine nuances the LEGO humor. Ultimately, this is huge toy commercial & a tremendous marketing scheme to sell merchandise. Look for some Jackie Chan outtakes in mid credits.

Alien gives it 3 "Lloyd & Lord Garmadon" stars out of 4.

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

Jennifer Lawrence is "mother". Javier Bardem is her husband, a poet with writer's block. His previous wife had died in a fire that burned this isolated house in the middle of nowhere. Their tranquil little piece of Eden becomes shattered when strangers (Ed Harris & Michelle Pfeiffer) interrupt their peaceful world. From there, all hell seems to breakout. The acting is superb. The house with all of its amplified sounds if a terrific setting. However, this psychological thriller with a "Rosemary's Baby" feel just gets more confusing as the story unravels & you try to make sense of events that make no sense. You will feel like you are in a nightmare being filled with frustration, anger, paranoia, & insanity. Is this "Twilight Zone"? Has director Darren Aronofsky created another masterpiece or is this a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes"? There probably is no middle ground here. People will either love it or hate it. If you stay to the end, you'll get to the punchline of this frightful story about love, devotion, & sacrifice.

Alien gives it 2 "glass heart" stars out of 4.

It's a CIA black ops counter-terrorism action drama involving stolen nuclear material, a rogue agent, a possible double agent, & a trail of dead bodies from Istanbul to Rome. A young man's (Dylan O'Brien) obsession for revenge leads to his recruitment by a CIA Deputy Director (Sanaa Lathan) to be trained by a shady veteran (Michael Keaton). Taylor Kitsch plays a mysterious character known as Ghost. This formulaic plot pits the cold-hearted demanding mentor against his maverick can't-seem-to follow-orders student. For the squeamish, you may want to avert your eyes from this one agonizing torture scene. This obsession themed plot stretches the bounds of reality more & more as the conclusion approaches.

Alien gives it 3 "don't make it personal" stars out of 4.

It's "Cougar Town" meets "Three's Company" when a single 40-year-old mom Alice (Reese Witherspoon) with 2 young girls, separated from her husband (Michael Sheen) for 5 months, returns to her family home in L.A. to start over & reinvent herself in this latest entry to the rom/com genre. The gimmick here is that 3 20-something men, who are struggling filmmakers, end up moving into her guest house & becoming involved day-care-wise with the kids, tech-support-wise for her new business, & romantically. Candice Bergen plays Alice's mom & Lake Bell has a role as an odd client. Witherspoon does what she does best in this genre but it seems a bit phoned in. The talents of Sheen & Bergen seem wasted here. There doesn't seem to be much believable chemistry between the characters. This forgettable chick flick has a few laughs but feels rather contrived. 

Alien gives it 2½ "female mid-life crisis" stars out of 4.

It's "Stand By Me" meets "Goonies" meets "The Sandlot" with a supernatural coulrophobic (fear of clowns) twist as issues of bullying, loss, guilt, & friendship are explored. More than just another horror flick, this coming of age tale is set in the small town of Derry, Maine, mostly during the summer of 1989. Seven misfit kids come together as they investigate a sudden rash of missing children & the town's possible curse. This excellent film will trigger some of those common childhood memories & fears we may have grown up with. These child actors all give fabulous performances. The film is more eerie & unsettling than actually terrifyingly scary but with a bit of gore & the expected jump scares. Some of the horror doesn't even come from the mysterious Pennywise clown. Dark basements, dank sewers, & creepy old houses are just some of the scary setting provided to keep audiences on edge. Of course, Pennywise is not a character you would want to meet under any circumstance. Experiencing this film in a RPX theater will send a extra low bass rumble through your body to intensify those special moments. By the end, one must wonder how soon will this evil resurface for Chapter II; hopefully in less than that 27 year cycle.

Alien gives it 3½ "facing your fears" stars out of 4.