Alien at the Movies

It's "Gladiator" meets "Guardians of the Galaxy" when Ragnarok, the fate of the gods, occurs.  Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is in exile & dying. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) & Loki (Tom Hiddleston) must stop Hela (Cate Blanchette), the Goddess of Death, from destroying Asgard. Along the way, Thor is forced into the Grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum) Contest of Champions to fight against an old friend from work, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Look for Idris Elba, Karl Urban, Tessa Thompson, some surprise cameos, & the now standard Marvel appearance of Stan Lee. Blanchette is always terrific & quite a unrecognizable chameleon of an actress. This third film of the Thor series leans more heavily to the comedic side as this adventure takes us to a junk planet & Thor's home world of Asgard. Spectacular special effects & some significant losses are featured. Look for two final clips at the end of this film.

Alien gives it 3 "slapstick superheroes" stars out of 4.

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

Is John Kramer aka the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell) back for more torturous justice? Is this the final piece of the puzzle? Five lives hang in the balance in this umpteenth sequel to the "Saw" series. Supposedly dead from cancer in an earlier episode, all the evidence points to his surprising return. Are you ready for more sadistic devices designed to obtain confessions & spill the guts of these poor victims & to quench the blood thirst of faithful fans? As usual, follow the clues & compile your list of suspects among the police, medical staff, & any obsessed serial killer fans in order to navigate this insane tale of irony loaded with plot twists. Undoubtedly, there will be nods & references to the previous films but having not previewed them won't spoil your fun if this is your idea of fun. I've only witness the original & either the second or the third one. This one fits the prescribed parameters of the Jigsaw game.

Alien gives it 3 "do you wanna play a game" stars out of 4.

This is the story of A.A. Milne (Domhnail Gleeson), wife Daphne (Margot Robbie), son Christopher Robin, the nanny, & how the now famous children's book character, Winnie-the-Pooh, was created. The impact of WWI had taken its toll on playwright Milne & circumstances lead to turning fantasy adventures in the woods with Christopher into books that captured the hearts of war torn England & the world. This is an emotional roller coaster ride as fame from book sale promotions effects its author & his family. This is a fascinating behind the scenes story of the world's most famous children's book inspired by a little boy. Summary statements & photos of the real people portrayed run at the end of the film.

Alien gives it 3 "childhood happiness & the pains of growing up" 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, directed by 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.

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

Once again, Tyler Perry tries to exploit a movie idea that was original referenced as a joke. It is pretty much the same concept of the first "Boo!" with the same characters (Perry again playing the father, grandpa, & of course, Aunt Madea) & again pitting the kids against the adults with a lesson to be learned. Perhaps, Perry has drawn from this holiday well too many times. Unless you are a big Madea fan, you might find this film rather disappointingly uninspiring. Still, it's family friendly & maybe entertaining to the very young. Look for the gag reel at the end.

Alien gives it 1½ "just going through the motions" stars out of 4.

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

POTUS & the Secret Service get involved again as Gerard Butler goes from "Olympus Has Fallen" to "London Has Fallen" & now apparently the sky has fallen as the world's climate control satellite system has been weaponized against us. If you like your disaster films played over the top with extra cheese, you might want to check out this predictable plot complete with a here-comes-the-calvary-to-the-rescue & a Hail Mary pass. Family issues of a sibling rivalry & a precocious kid are also worked into this mystery of who's behind this satellite sabotage scheme & for what purpose. This is basically a silly excuse to blow up things & destroy stuff on an immensely spectacular scale.

Alien gives it 2½ "secret code" stars out of 4.

Who hasn't heard about the story of Mary, Joseph, & the birth of Jesus? But have you heard it as told through the eyes of the animals who were there too? This is a very cute, charming, & funny animated film. It is a perfect introduction for young ones to this famous Bible story. A donkey, a dove, a sheep, a mouse, a couple of dogs, & three camels are involved in this version of the new king's birth. It's an entertaining journey to Bethlehem explaining the other story behind the big story. This marvelous family film is scheduled to release on November 17th.

Alien gets it 3½ "forgiveness" stars out of 4.

When the first snow falls in Norway, people go missing; only to be found later in some grizzly ritualistic dismemberment fashion. New police recruit Katrine (Rebecca Ferguson) starts making connections to some cold cases & veteran detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) with a drinking problem joins in the hunt for this mysterious serial killer with a snowman trademark who taunts the police with his messages. J.K. Simmons & Val Kilmer are also in director Tomas Alfredson's cast. Sounds intriguing? What could go wrong with this cast, director, & premise? And the trailer looked great too. Well, some characters are not that likable, some have no more than extended cameo roles, & one may disappear too soon. Mystery fans may find the motive here was set up too apparent & would have liked more of a challenge. Action adrenaline junkies may feel the pace felt like trudging through a snow drift. Has Harry's hangover haze carried over into the film? Would the director's excuse about 10-15% of the script being unshot have made any difference? Was the film's climatic scene too transparent like thin ice? There aren't any warm hopes of box office success for this frozen fiasco but only chilling reviews.

Alien gives it 1½ "do you want to make a snowman" stars out of 4.

Based on true events, this is the amazing story about an elite group of fire fighting men known as "Hotshots". They are the best of the best. Audiences will get to know these men & their families as they go through fun times & tough times. You'll learn more about their skills & training that would never have ever considered or imagined. This roller coaster ride will have you laughing & crying along with these incredible men & their families. This film will draw you in because these characters feel real & you will care about their safety & well-being as impending danger threatens these brave souls working so hard out on the front lines. You would feel like you are right there in this intense infernal if not for the lack of searing heat. This is a great tribute to all of those fire fighters willing to make the greatest sacrifice just to save others & their property. This exceptional cast includes James Brolin, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jeff Bridges, & Taylor Kitsch. Warning: tissues may be required upon entering this fire zone. 

Alien gives it 3½ "The Donut on Team 7" stars out of 4.

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

This was not the comic book character story I was expecting. Harvard Radcliffe professor William Marston (Luke Evans) & his wife Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall) are psychologists who are working on a lie detector device. When they hire student teaching assistant Olive Bryne (Bella Heathcote), their lives are forever changed. Evans, Hall, & Heathcote are all terrific in this unconventional love story that may not be for everyone's tastes. See how this relationship leads to the creation of the Wonder Woman comic & the controversy spawned by it. Summaries & photos of the real people portrayed are run at the end of the film.

Alien gives it 2½ "kinky" stars out of 4. 

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

During Queen Victoria's final years as head of the British Empire & Empress of India, her relationship with her Indian servant Abdul Karim causes great concern among the Royal Household. Perhaps this fascinating film should be considered the companion piece to "Her Majesty Mrs. Brown" (also starring Judy Dench as the Queen). Contrary to the concept of the Victorian Age, Queen Victoria demonstrates a rather progressive attitude for the times considering Abdul's race, religion, & status. This is a delightful story told with great humor as this aging ruler's spirits are lifted with the arrival of this young man from another continent who expands her horizons about a culture she rules over but has never visited. This is also a terrific looking period piece.

Alien gives it 3½ "The Munshi" stars out of 4.

When his daughter is killed in a IRA claimed bombing in London, a 61-year-old humble restaurant owner Quan (Jackie Chan) seeks answers & justice. Getting no results from the police, Quan turns to former IRA member now British government official Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan) for the names of the bombers. Of course, Quan is a man with some special skills & sets off on a one-man revenge vendetta in this action thriller filled with political intrigue & double-cross. Brosnan is always terrific as we try to guess about his involvement. Chan is still amazing, even at his age, still thrilling us with his remarkable stunts. It's a cat & mouse game as Quan fights to survive in his quest for answers.

Alien gives it 3 "political terrorism" stars out of 4.

Soldiers from the war in Iraq return home with physical & emotional scars that carry over to their friends & family. This is a powerful eye opening experience that focuses on the difficulties veterans have trying to fit back into civilian life & their lack of immediate aid due to bureaucratic red tape & limited resources. This is a terrific film but hard to watch the pain & suffering our brave warriors needlessly endure at home. Miles Teller leads the cast of talented actors in this grim story of 5 soldiers from the same unit & their camaraderie. Photos & summaries of the real characters portrayed in this film run at the end.

Alien gives it 3 "Post-traumatic Stress Disorder" stars out of 4.

This is the amazing story behind the popular Christian music song "I Can Only Imagine". Based on the real life experiences of singer/songwriter Bart Millard, this is a moving & inspirational story about redemption & forgiveness. A young boy's struggle with his abusive s.o.b. father (Dennis Quaid), an unlucky break in high school football, & a lucky break in glee club sets him off on the long hard road to music fame. This is a powerful message in a well written script with a sense of humor. Photos & summary captions of the real people are showcased at the end of the film. This was an advanced screening of a film that is scheduled to be released on March 16, 2018.

Alien gives it 3½ "MercyMe" stars out of 4.

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

This is sequel to the 1982 cult classic Blade Runner. Critics have already praised this film on many levels as good as the original. The visuals are amazing in this grim dystopia & the special effects of the future technology will blow you away. Ryan Gosling give another solid performance & it's good to see Harrison Ford back as Rick Deckard. However, it is rather slow paced for its nearly 3 hour length with an annoyingly loud musical score. Maybe it's to wake you up if you start to drift off. Gosling is Officer K is a blade runner hunting down replicants & discovers evidence that could dramatically shake up their world with trail leading him to Deckard. Was this film over hyped or do I need to see it again when I'm less tired or in a better frame of mind?

Alien gives it 2½ "wooden toy horse" stars out of 4.

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

A doctor (Idris Elba) & a photojournalist (Kate Winslet) are desperate to get to Denver but their small plane crashes on a snowy mountainside in the middle of nowhere. They're total strangers with different personalities but they must depend on each other on their long journey for survival. It is a moving story with a surprise I didn't see coming.

Alien gives it 3 "rules of three" stars out of 4.

In 1941, NAACP civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) is sent to Bridgeport, Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur Joseph Spell accused of the raping his rich white socialite employer Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). With the deck stacked against him, Marshall forced team up with a local attorney Samuel Friedman (Josh Gad). Presiding over the case is James Cromwell as Judge Foster. Boseman & Gad are excellent in this superb courtroom drama based on a true story. This film will give audiences some insights to the inspiring young man who would eventually be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Alien gives it 3½ "Black Lives Matter" stars out of 4.