Alien at the Movies

Limbo

Omar is a Syrian refugee & musician stranded on a remote Scottish island awaiting asylum & separated from his family. This is a slow paced film about strangers in a strange land trying to cope & fit in. The story is offbeat, melancholy, & has a wry sense of humor. 

Alien gives it 2 “oud & sumac” stars out of 4.

Nobody

Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) is a nobody, seemingly just an ordinary guy living a mundane life, suburban family man, & blue collar worker at his father-in-law’s metal machine shop. When thieves break into his home late one night, Hutch decides to de-escalate the situation & let the robbers go. After losing face in front of his family & neighbor, he decides to track down the thieves. From there, everything ramps ups exponentially with knocked down, dragged out brutal violence laced with a dark sense of humor. If you like quirky action packed shoot ‘em up revenge stories, you may like this one. The supporting cast includes Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, & RZA. Look for an end of film & mid credit clip hinting towards a possible sequel. This one is all about family & trying to do the right thing.

Alien gives it 3 “auditor” stars out of 4.

Ronald Dahl’s The Witches

An orphaned boy goes to live with his grandma (Olivia Spenser) when his parents die in a tragic car accident. When he encounters a local witch, he & his grandma move into a fancy hotel to hideout. Unfortunately, a coven of witches are holding a secret meeting there. When the boy uncovers their secret, he becomes mousified by the witch leader (Anne Hathaway). This story is based on author Roald Dahl’s children’s book except the local is reset to the late 1960’s Alabama. It’s a fun fantasy film for the family. Spenser & Hathaway are always terrific, although Hathaway plays it way over the top. Stanley Tucci is in the supporting cast along with the voices of Kristin Chenoweth & Chris Rock. The kiddies will be thrilled with special effects.

Alien gives it 3 “Grand High Witch” stars out of 4.

Trigger Point

A disgraced government agent (Barry Pepper) suffering from memory loss is laying low in small town America. When another agent goes missing & others turn up dead, he gets dragged back into the deadly spy business. His investigation leads to some twists & turns along with a trail of dead bodies as he tries to remember & uncover the truth. 

Alien gives it 2  “The Gatekeeper” stars out of 4.

Mortal Kombat

It’s Hanzo Hasashi vs Bi-Han, Earthrealm vs Outworld, good vs evil as these popular video game characters return for another battle to the death tournament. Chosen One champions from earth must train & prepare to defend their world from outside invaders. This martial arts fantasy film is action packed with thrilling hand to hand fight scenes & stunning special effects. I haven’t played nor seen any of the video games or the previous films, but I️ sense Mortal Kombat fans will rekindle their connection to these characters & their one liners. Hopefully, fans will see their favorites display their special powers. Like the video games, this film is action driven so the storyline is fairly basic. The setup for a possible rematch between these heroes & villains & a future hint of a familiar character are laid out.

Alien gives it 3½  “arcana” stars out of 4.

Chaos Walking

This dystopian tale is set in the future about a new world colony where men’s thought can seen & heard. Todd (Tom Holland) is a boy raised by adoptive parents. One day, he stumbles upon Viola (Daisy Ridley), the lone survivor of a scout ship that crashes while searching for their First Colony. Todd can’t hear Viola’s thoughts & has never seen a female before because in Todd’s village there are no women. It’s a odd blend rural frontier life with space age blasters. Todd & Viola must go on the run trying to evade the evil mayor (Mads Mikkelsen) & his men. The premise sounds like it may have great promise but it takes a stumble as Todd does some growing up while seeking the truth.

Alien gives it 2 “The Noise” stars out of 4.

Funny Face

In New York, 2 lonely misfits cross paths & form a bond. Saul (Cosmo Jarvis) is a man with anger issues who sometimes hides behind a creepy funny face mask. Zama (Dela Meskienyar) is a young runaway girl dressed in a burqa. This is a slow paced film with great eye stimulating visuals. It’s a sad moody film that doesn’t seem to really go anywhere. Jonny Lee Miller, Dan Hedaya, Rhea Perlman, & Victor Garber have minor roles. 

Alien gives it 2½ “James Dean” stars out of 4.