Alien at the Movies

The Ice Road

Trapped Manitoba miners caught in a cave in & running out of breathable air require a team of ice road truckers on a tight deadline to deliver critical rescue equipment. Liam Neeson stars as Mike the trucker, a far cry from his Schindler, Qui-Gon, & Bryan Mills characters. When this dangerous long haul becomes plagued with many unexpected setbacks, Mike & the team must use their McGyver skills to salvage their rescue mission. It’s an action packed thrill ride rolling over frozen lakes, driving on icy roads, & fighting off a relentless enemy. Laurence Fishbourne has a small supporting role. At the heart of the story is the love of one’s brother.

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

Freaky 

It’s a mashup of 2 Fridays... “Friday the 13th” & “Freaky Friday”. This horror/comedy parody spoofs both genres. Whether you love or hate those type of movies, you might get a strange kick out of this unique blend. Timid mousy Millie (Kathryn Newton) is a teen outsider who is bullied by her classmates. Vince Vaughn plays the mysterious middle aged Blissfield Butcher. An ancient Aztec sacrificial dagger causes the switch & awkward comedy moments ensues. The plot is predictable but aren’t they always for these genre type.

Alien gives it 2½  “goofy gruesomeness” stars out of 4.

Jolt

An ex-bouncer/wannabe photographer Lindy (Kate Beckinsale) with a terrible medical condition requiring her to wear a shock vest to control her anger issues goes on a rampage hunt to find the killer of her new guy Justin (Jai Courtney). Based on this premise, it sounded like a real flashy trashy film. But who can resist a badass Beckinsale kicking butt again, especially since she seems to have retired her Selene persona. I️ was all in for what I️ expected to be an over-the-top guilty pleasure dark comedy punctuated with some extreme violence. Bobby Cannavale & Laverne Cox play the buddy cops hot on Lindy’s trail as their prime murder suspect. It also didn’t hurt to have Stanley Tucci & Susan Sarandon in the supporting cast, although their appearances are rather minimal. Look for a mid-credit surprise clip.

Alien gives it 3 “McLaren 600LT Napier” stars out of 4.

All the Streets Are Silent

In New York during the late 80’s to early 90’s, the skateboarding & hip hop subcultures thrive & merge together. The music night scene expands with Club MARS. An underground hip hop radio station is created & hosted by DJ Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito. Fashion labels like Phat Farm, Zoo York, & Supreme take off. Films like “Kids” & the “Mixtape” video are produced. Old footage & pictures as well as interviews are used to illustrate the times for this documentary. See some music artists perform at the beginning of their careers. It’s an interesting look at the union of 2 unique & seemingly very different cultures.

Alien gives it 2½ “skater bar” stars out of 4.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

It’s Warner Bros/Looney Tunes basketball version of “Real Player One”. Actually, this is an updated stand alone sequel to the 1996 “Space Jam” featuring Michael Jordan (which I️ have never seen). In this live action/animated sports comedy, a rogue cyber character AI-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle) hijacks LeBron James, his son Dom, & others for high stakes basketball game which threatens the very existence of these detainees. It’s not too hard to predict the outcome in this children’s film with Easter egg nods to various WB properties. See some of your favorite Looney Tune characters. It’s the Goon Squad vs the Tune Squad as father & son go head-to-head in this crazy cyber competition. In the end, father & son resolve their differences & come to understand each other better. Experience some old school hand drawn cartooning before the movie morphs into 3D CGI effects. This one is more fun for the kiddies than for adult entertainment. I️ was disappointed there was no classic farewell message from Porky at the end of credits.

Alien gives it 2½  “In the Serververse” stars out of 4.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain 

This is an intriguing & intimate documentary about the chef, the writer, the world traveler, the man, the manic, the famous Anthony Bourdain. We see his life unfold before us through lots of film footage from his early chef years & through his travelogue features. Since he is the main narrator in his films, you hear his thoughts on his experiences. You will meet the people in his life as they share their thoughts & impressions of their dear Tony. The film gets darker near the end as it searches for clues & hints that would lead to Bourdain’s tragic demise. He was a blatantly blunt person who told it as he saw it & was driven by his personal addictions. This is a fascinating film well edited to tell his unique story. It’s an emotional journey of a man always in search of something.

Alien gives it 3½ “pop culture icon” stars out of 4.

Fear Street Part Three: 1666

Now this teen slasher trilogy travels back 300 years to tell the origin story of Sarah Fier & the curse of Shadyside. It’s the classic witch hunt story where the colonists unable to explain the blight that has fallen upon them start to blame young girls for witchcraft. Toss in the strange widow with a book of incantations & the next thing you know, there is a hanging & the curse begins. The film quickly jumps back to 1978 & 1994 to tie up loose ends & to end the curse. Part 3 is on par with 1 & 2. If you liked those, you’ll probably enjoy this one too. If you seen parts 1 & 2, you are likely going to hang in there looking for some closure. But as in any horror film, does this nightmare ever end. There are still 300 years of this Shadyside curse to explore, but will anybody care?

Alien give it 2½  “the dark one” stars out of 4.

Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow finally gets her origin story & a fitting farewell, since by now, most of us know of the tragic events of  “Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame. First we meet Russian undercover agents, Alexei & Melina (David Harbour & Rachel Weisz) along with their surrogate daughters, Natasha & Yelena, who are fleeing Ohio in 1995. Then, we jump to just after “Captain America: Civil War” where the amazing action & fabulous fights scenes explode on to the big screen. The plot involves the Taskmaster, Red Dust, a prison break, an avalanche, a family union, the Red Room, mind control, & sleeper agents. It’s the pandemic delayed Marvel-ous good time that many have been waiting for. Florence Pugh plays Natasha’s sister, who might be inheriting the MCU title role. Harbour brings some comic relief to the film. As always, stay to the end of the credits for a hint to a future film & a surprise cameo.

Alien gives it 3½  “pheromone lock” stars out of 4.

Fear Street Part Two: 1978

It’s sex, drugs, & rock’n’roll at Camp Nightwing as the curse of Sarah Fier continues to unfold in this teen slasher flick trilogy. Survivors from Part One seek out the lone survivor from a past Shadyside mass murdering spree. She tells the story about bullying, tensions between Sunnydale & Shadyside kids, & a siblings rivalry. One summer in 1978, some campers believe & some don’t believe in the local witch’s curse lore... until one of the happy campers picks up an axe & whack, whack, whack. Once again, this series is driven more by suspense than horror. When you know this prequel only leads to another prequel 300 years early, there is little expectation of resolution, so stay tune for the origin story next.

Alien gives it 2½  “your sister’s in the toilet” stars out of 4. 

No Sudden Move

In 1954 Detroit, 2 small time criminals, Ronald & Curt (Benicio del Toro & Don Cheadle), are hired to heist a mysterious document but when the job goes sideways, greed & survival take over. Now anyone could be collateral damage. As the search for higher up bosses, who will pay more money for the goods, continues, more plot twists & turns occur. Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, & Matt Damon round out this star studded cast directed by Steven Soderbergh. This is a fictional account about a real life secret document. 

Alien gives it 3 “back stabbing” stars out of 4.

The Tomorrow War

It’s “Timecop” meets “Edge of Tomorrow” meets “The Thing from Another World” when our 30 years ahead future selves desperately beg our present day selves for help in their losing battle against an alien invasion. High school science teacher Dan (Chris Pratt) is sent to the future along with other civilians drafted under a special conscription plan. The alien beasts are scary dangerous & seemingly unstoppable as they overrun the planet. Yvonne Strahovski plays a colonel in the future & JK Simmons plays Dan’s estranged father. This is an action packed thriller with a few “oh shit” moments to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you pay attention to the early bread crumbs, they may lead you to the little surprises in the plot. Speaking of little surprises, I️ always get a smile when see Mary Lynn Rajskub’s face pop up, even if it is only for a bit part. This one is about family & second chances.

Alien gives it 3 “White Spikes” stars out of 4.