Alien at the Movies

 The Dark Divide

Reminiscent of 1983’s “Never Cry Wolf”, nature writer/butterfly expert Robert Payne (David Cross) pushes himself to the limit hiking through Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest after the death of his wife Thea (Debra Messing). This comedy/drama is based on a true story about a man’s journey. Meet the people & the creatures, he encounters along the way.

Alien gives it 2½ “Bigfoot” stars out of 4.

 Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story

The unsung female heroes behind the scenes of some memorable tv & movie action stunts are featured in this remarkable documentary. The older barrier-breaking ladies chat with their counterparts in today’s modern movie magic. See the real faces behind some of your favorite action & fight stunts. Hear about their struggles in a male dominated industry. Learn about the dangers in their work & how they prepare to do their job. Their excellence make our favorite actresses look so good. 

Alien gives it 2½ “thrills & spills” stars out of 4.

 The Artist’s Wife

Richard (Bruce Dern) is the renowned artist recently diagnosed with dementia. He is a temperamental, crotchety, old man who is behaving more & more erratic lately. Claire (Lena Olin) is his loving, supportive wife who was willing to make sacrifices for him & now must cover for his illness. They have an adult daughter who has been estranged for years. Olin is outstanding as the frustrated spouse trying to deal with her emotions living under his shadow, shielding his condition from the art community, & rediscoverOmg her self importance. Dern gives another terrific performance. This is a wonderful drama shining the spotlight on the struggles of dementia in our aging loved ones, but it’s also a very sad one. 

Alien gives it 3 “love, marriage, & family” stars out of 4.

 All In: The Fight for Democracy 

This is a documentary on voter suppression & the history of America’s democratic election flaws. The film focuses on Stacey Abrams, Georgia’s 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, & her political activist work to achieve equal voting rights for all Americans. See how the abolishment of slavery, the women’s rights movement, & the civil rights movement helped to advance democracy when those in power fought unfairly to stay in power. If you are a true believer in American democracy, this is a hard film to watch as injustice sometimes overshadows our election system. If you fear the certain stereotypical people, you’ll probably feel like these are just the rants of a sore loser. The message here is, if you want to make America great, be sure to exercise your right to vote & make sure it counts.

Alien gives it 3 “Be Heard” stars out of 4.

The Prey

It’s “The Most Dangerous Game” meets “The Hunt” meets “The Defiant Ones” in this rumble in the Cambodian jungle. An undercover Interpol agent gets swooped up in a raid & becomes incarcerated in a remote jungle prison run by a sadistic warden. He must fight for his life when 10 prisoners become targets for 3 wealthy thrill-seeking game hunters. It’s a low budget shoot ‘em up/hand-to-hand combat action thriller as the prey must become the hunter if he is going to survive. This is a foreign film with English subtitles but don’t worry because this film is action driven. Toss in some innocent villagers, a damsel in distress, & a drug making gang into the mix. Will the hero walk out of the jungle a free man or will he be another victim?

Alien gives it 2 “man becomes an animal” stars out of 4.

 Critical Thinking

It’s “Stand & Deliver” meets “Dangerous Minds” meets “Pawn Sacrifice” in this 1998 true story of the Miasma mi Jackson High School chess team’s journey to the U.S. National Chess Championship. Mr. Martinez (John Leguizamo) is the caring & motivating teacher inspiring a group of inner city kids in his elective class for playing chess. This is street tough drama about minority students struggling to prove that they are better than what everyone thinks of them. It is a great inspirational & motivational story about overcoming obstacles & finding a way to improve your situation. Leguizamo also directed this wonderful film. See the real characters portrayed at the end of the film.

Alien gives it 3 “The Opera Game” stars out of 4.

 Mulan

This is not a sneak preview. This film is currently streaming on Disney+ for $29.99.

Disney has updated their 1998 animated Mulan film with a new live-action version. The House of Mouse has now revamped their children’s princess story to more closely portray China’s legendary woman warrior from its ancient musical records & poems. The story is still about a young maiden disguising herself as a man to spare her aging father from serving in the Imperial Army. This story is steeped in Chinese culture & traditions. The visuals are outstanding from the landscapes to the sets to the costumes. The fight scenes are spectacular. Yifei Liu is amazing as Mulan. Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Jet Li, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, & Li Gong are among the more familiar names & faces in the talented supporting cast. The film could have benefited from further expanding on some of the other character backgrounds. This is tale about honor, family, serving your country, & not hiding from who you really are. If you were a huge fan of the original Disney feature, you may be disappointed by the lack of those musical song lyrics & omission of that humorous Mushu character. But then, what would be the point of making an exact real life duplicate of the original. The addition of the witch & the Phoenix were nice touches.

Alien gives it 3½ “loyal, brave, & true” stars out of 4.