Alien at the Movies

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

This film is director Joe Wright's across the English Channel counterpart to Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk". This wartime biopic is more behind the scenes political struggle than front line battle sequences. It is an insight to what newly appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) faced in his struggle against Hitler's armed forces, his military advisors, & his political opponents. Oldman is phenomenal as Churchill capturing his speech pattern, mannerisms, & walk. The prosthetic makeup is outstanding & you can't even recognize Oldman under that latex, only just a hint of his true voice subtly bleeding in at times. Lily James turns in a notable performance as Churchill's secretary. Some creative photography is utilize to emphasize certain situations.

Alien gives it 3 "never, never, never give up" stars out of 4.

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

Crazy kidnapping, desperate mother, & rich miser... Oh my!

Inspired by true events, it's July of 1973 when the grandson of oil baron J. Paul Getty is kidnapped from the streets of Rome. His mom Abigail Getty (Michelle Williams) doesn't have the money to pay the ransom & grandpa Getty (Christopher Plummer) refuses to pay a cent. Ex-CIA agent Fletcher Chace (Mark Wahlberg) is hired to investigate & to bring young Paul back home. It is a gripping kidnapping story, a mom's worst nightmare, & a fascinating insight to the richest man in the world at the time. Williams & Plummer give outstanding performances. Interesting note: director Ridley Scott took just 9 days of reshoots to replace disgraced Kevin Spacey as senior Getty. 

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

After quizzing their mom (Glenn Close) about the true identity of their biological father, Peter (Ed Helms) & Kyle (Owen Wilson) set off on a journey in search for "dear old dad". Traveling to Miami to New York to Worcester Massachusetts & then back home again, these adult fraternal twins hilariously follow leads that directs them to the likes of Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames, J.K. Simmons, Kat Williams, & Christopher Walkens. It's a crazy "Odd Couple" road trip where these two learn about the true meaning of family & being brothers despite any bickering or disagreements. This is one wild game of "Who's your daddy?".

Alien gives it 2½ "Chairman Meow" stars out of 4.

The Bellas are back. Having gone their separate ways & missing performing together, they join a USO Show on tour in Europe visiting Spain, Italy, & France. If you watched & loved the first two films, you'll know what to expect & will probably love this third & possibly the final excuse for these ladies to sing, dance, harmonize, & riff off together against the competition. This time, toss in some daddy issues & some action/adventure excitement due to a kidnapping, search, & rescue. Of course, those snarky commentators happen to be filming a documentary on our singers so they are always lurking about. An outtake reel runs at the end. Anyone predicting a reunion tour in the future?

Alien gives it 3 "Farewell Tour" stars out of 4.

1995's Jumanji film ends with the board game buried on a beach. This sequel picks up in 1996 with the Jumanji board game being recovered & taken home where overnight, it magically morphs into a video game & claims another player victim. Now jump to the present where 4 Brantford High School detention students discover & play this video game only to be sucked into this imaginary fantasy adventure game. They become their chosen avatar characters & are forced to play by the games rules if they hope to escape. It is hilarious comedy as Duane Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, & Karen Gillan retain the personalities of their high school counterparts. Nick Jonas & Bobby Cannavale also costar. Look for a surprise cameo. This creative update aims to reach today's generation of gamers & is a nice twist that takes the players into the game instead bringing the game to the players. No special clips at the end of the film, only the sound of those familiar drums disappointing the hopeful hanger-ons.

Alien gives it 3½ "the eye of the jaguar" stars out of 4.

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

Based on the famous children's book, "The Story of Ferdinand", this animated feature expands the story of the bull who rather smell the flowers than fight in the bullring. However, an accident with a bee sends Ferdinand to Madrid to fight El Premero, the greatest matador in Spain. This is good wholesome family fun. There are jokes for the young & for the old. The talented Kate McKinnon steals her scenes as the wisecracking goat, Lupe.

Alien gives it 3½ "Casa de Toro" stars out of 4.

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

Duke Diver (Morgan Freeman) is the manager of Villa Capri, a luxury resort in Palms Springs. He is living it up with his buddies & the ladies, but he has something to hide. Mystery man Leo McKay (Tommy Lee Jones) moves in & becomes an immediate rival especially for the attention of Suzie Quinn (Renee Russell). Comedic competition, corporate complications, & a contract killer ensues. With a AARP aged starring cast, this funny film seems to cater to an older crowd.

Alien gives it 2½ "Sweet Willie" stars out of 4.

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

The battle between good & evil rages on with Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren, General Hux, & the First Order hunting down Rey, Finn, Poe, Leia, Luke, & the rebels. It's a game of cat & mouse with the bad guys closing in on the good guys. It feels like nonstop action & high tension as the story takes many twists & turn. You get the familiarity of the old & the excitement of the new with fun sense of humor running throughout. See who dies & who survives to fight another day. Tune in to see why Ben Solo turns, find out who are Rey's parents, & experience the power of the Force. If by now you haven't figured out what to expect, where have you been? You got a lot of catching up to do. It's a fun time & it will have you wondering where the final episode of this trilogy is going to take us.

Alien gives it 3½ "we are rebel scum" stars out of 4.

Paul & Audrey Safranek (Matt Damon & Kristen Wiig) contemplate shrinking themselves down to 5 inches tall in order to reduce their carbon footprint. This is writer/director Alexander Payne's sci-fi satire about saving the planet. Christoph Waltz costars with Jason Sudeikis, James Van Der Beek, Niecy Nash, Neil Patrick Harris, & Laura Dern relegated to rather cameo roles. However, Hong Chau playing a Vietnamese housekeeper manages to comedically steal all of her scenes. She lights up this lengthy comedy with a serious message. Warning: full frontal male nudity.

Alien gives it 2½ "the down side of downsizing" stars out of 4.

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro has created a fairytale for adults where a mute cleaning lady, Eliza (Sally Hawkins), working at a hidden high-security government facility, makes a special connection with a top secret asset, an amphibian man (Doug Jones). Worshipped as a god by the Amazon rain forest natives but this creature is being considered as a potential experimental test subject in the U.S./Russian space race. This is a beautifully shot 1960's period piece. It's a fantastic fantasy thriller involving a monster, a empathetic character, a person with attitude, an isolated neighbor, & a Russian infiltrator. Hawkins gives an amazing nonverbal performance. An outstanding supporting cast includes Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, & Richard Jenkins. This beauty & the beast tale is a little romance with a sly sense of humor & is rated "R" for nudity, some sexual content, violence, & language (once even signed). 

Alien gives it 3½ "misunderstood creature" stars out of 4.

Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum in this stunning musical chronicling this showman/promoter's road to circus fame from his meager beginnings to the successes & failures of his innovative ideas to entertain the masses. If you like musicals, you won't want to miss this lively film with all original songs & fabulous dance choreography. Jackman demonstrates his song & dance skills. Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zac Efron, & Zendaya costar in this musical drama inspired by key events in Barnum's life. Great music & amazing dance numbers with a little romance & a curiosity about the freak show characters make this a highly entertaining film. This is a fun film about going after your dreams & a tribute to the diversity of man. 

Alien gives it 3½ "how a circus was born" stars out of 4.