Alien at the Movies

Encanto

Through the power of a magic candle, Alma Madrigal & her triplets escape from some mysterious pursuers & survive in an enchanted house hidden in the mountains of Colombia. In fact, all of the Madrigals seem to develop some special powers when they come of age… all except Mirabel, who is having a hard time trying to fit in. But when the magic starts to fade, Mirabel shoulders the blame & tries to correct the situation. It’s a fun & funny animated family film that will delight audiences with its songs & stunning visuals. The story here is that family & people will come together during a demanding crisis to help each other. Also, this film is powered by the House of Mouse & marches to the beat of Lin-Manuel Miranda tunes.

Alien gives it 3 “Cracks in the Casita” stars out of 4.

Encounter

A decorated Marine (Riz Ahmed) is on a mission to rescue his 2 sons from an invasion of parasitic aliens. Along the way to Base Camp, the journey becomes more & more dangerous so the boys must grow up quickly. Ahmed is amazing as well as the 2 very young actors playing the boys. The love between them is very convincing & makes this premise work. You may suspect all is not right from the beginning & the plot will become clearer as the layers are revealed. Is this father lying to his kids or is he delusional? The powerful film is intense, moving, & emotional. Octavia Spenser has a small supporting role.

Alien gives it 3 “family annihilator” stars out of 4.

Don’t Look Up

Two low level astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio & Jennifer Lawrence) try to warn the world about a comet on a catastrophic collision course with earth. Producer/director/writer Adam McKay has created a marvelous satire of government & media indifference to the existing threat of climate change under the guise of an “Armageddon”/“Deep Impact” type event. It spokes fun at the presidency, morning talk shows, social media celebrities, & billionaire CEOs. The all-star cast also includes Tyler Perry, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Ron Perlman, Timothée  Chalamet, & Ariana Grande. The film skillfully make fun of how money, power, & selfishness leads to corruption as it stretches truths to hilarious limits. It ain’t over until it’s over so look for a mid credit scene as well as one at the very end. 

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

The Matrix Resurrections

Neo (Keanu Reeves) & Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) find themselves back in the Matrix. He thinks he is Thomas Anderson, a well-known software gaming designer asked to develop a fourth edition to the popular Matrix Trilogy for the Warner Bros parent company. She thinks she is Tiffany, a housewife with kids & a loves motorcycles. It’s a nostalgic look back at the Matrix franchise with its mind bending action & reality twisting scenes. Once again Neo takes the red pill & follows the white rabbit to escape the Matrix but must return through the looking glass to get Trinity. Look for a new team of rebels in search for their chosen one. Are you ready to take the red pill & enter to a familiar but different programming? Remember choice is just an illusion & beware of the bot bombs.

Alien gives it 3 “Modal 101” stars out of 4.

Being the Ricardos

Director/writer Aaron Sorkin takes us behind the scenes with Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) & Desi Arnaz (Javier Braden), stars of the 1950’s ultra popular “I️ Love Lucy” tv sitcom. The plot deals with the Red Scare, Desi’s infidelity, Vivian Vance’s frustrations, & Lucy’s pregnancy, although compressed into a week’s filming time. See Lucy & Desi’s personal & professional relationships. Behind the laughter, this is a dramatic look at this powerful husband & wife team on the hit CBS comedy show. JK Simmons plays William Frawley aka Fred Mertz. Although the talented actors may not closely resemble this famous iconic cast, they do capture their voice, cadence, mannerisms & hence their essence that audiences are so familiar with. For the “I️ Love Lucy” fans, are enough show references to trigger some fond nostalgic memories.

Alien gives it 3 “Lucy, I’m home” stars out of 4.

The Silencing

Is someone hunting young teenage girls for sport?

A reformed hunter/trapper, Rayburn (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), spots a camouflaged figure seemingly chasing a female on his camera security system protecting his private wildlife sanctuary. He is an alcoholic reclusive stricken by grief & guilt over his own missing daughter lost 5 years ago. Annabelle Wallis plays the female sheriff investigating a dead body that has washed up. This is a clouded & complicated cat & mouse game of hunt & be hunted as audiences try to figure out who is the real killer. Not all makes perfect sense but if you don’t sweat the details, you might be entertained.

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

Ron’s Gone Wrong

A socially awkward & lonesome middle schooler, Barney, desires a B-Bot so he can fit in with his classmates. Built by the Bubble Corporation, B-Bots are rolling, talking electronic devices programmed to help kids make friends & connect with each other. Barney’s father & immigrant grandmother manage to illegally purchase a not-so-perfect B-Bot in a shady behind the store deal. As Barney deals with teaching his incompletely programmed bot (eventually named Ron), he & his bot begin to bond in this hilarious computer-generated animation adventure. For the kiddies, it’s a comedy of errors & physical slapstick. For adults, it’s social commentary on corporate greed, data mining, & over dependence on technology. It’s a great family friendly film about bullying & being different. 

Alien gives it 3 “all about the A’s” stars out of 4.

Love Is Love Is Love

This is a collection of 3 tales of love & commitment between couples & friends.

1. Love is… Two For Dinner

A couple share a romantic Saturday night dinner together. However, he is movie producer out of town on location so they long distance date night through technology. Cute but I️ could see what was coming.

2. Love is… Sailing Lesson 

An older couple’s romantic afternoon on the water isn’t smooth sailing.

3. Love… Late Lunch

A daughter grieving over the sudden loss of her mother brings together 8 of her mom’s dearest friends to mourn as well as celebrate the woman. Out comes the stories & secrets about their connections with this special woman. This is an emotional rollercoaster as they try to comfort & support each other through this enormous loss.

Among the all star ensemble cast is Joanne Whaley, Kathy Baker, Rosanna Arquette, Polly Draper, Cybill Shepherd, & Rita Wilson. If you are a love story lover, you’ll probably enjoy this film.

Alien gives it 2½ “mementos, scarves, & tap shoes” stars out of 4. 

The Tender Bar

George Clooney directs this terrific coming-of-age drama about a boy from a working class Long Island NY neighborhood who is searching for a role model, who he is, & who is going to be. In 1973, 9-year-old JR & his single mom move back in with grandpa (Christopher Lloyd). He looks up to his philosophical Uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck) & barfly friends. He is a smart kid who gets into Yale where his mom wants him to become a lawyer. He finds his first love there. He aspires to be a writer. Tye Sheridan plays the older JR in this emotional, character-driven story. This film has a great nostalgic soundtrack from that era. This is also based on true story. 

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

Joe Bell

This film is about a man, husband, & father who was on a mission to spread the word across America about the effects of bullying. Based on a true story of Joe Bell (Mark Wahlberg) who, after the tragic death of his son Jadin, decided to walk from his hometown in Oregon to New York City speaking along the way to anyone who would listen. The message here is heartwarming & heartbreaking. It is told skillfully & effectively told through flashbacks & through Bell’s actual struggles as well as his internal struggles manifested visually for audiences to see. This is Wahlberg’s best performance yet as we feel Bell’s love, determination, pain, regrets, grief, guilt, & doubts. We are also seeing the love, pain, & suffering through the eyes of wife/mother Lola (Connie Britton) & son/brother Joseph. Gary Sinese is also in the supporting cast. This emotional rollercoaster ride also comes with a surprise that I️ did not except. At the end, see photos & footage of the real Joe Bell & his family.

Alien gives it 3½ “walking every step of the way” stars out of 4.

Back to the Outback

It’s “The Great Escape” meets “Crocodile Dundee”  meets “Mad Max” when Australia’s deadliest animals escape from their park enclosure in an attempt to return to their home & their kind. These maligned monsters (a snake, a spider, a scorpion, & a lizard) drag along a koala on their wild road trip to the outback. On their trail is a father & son team trying to recapture them. This entertaining animated feature is good family fun for all ages. This film is about finding family & about being misled. 

Alien gives it 3 “USS password” stars out of 4.

Home Sweet Home Alone

When a potentially valuable family heirloom goes missing, a mom & dad suspect this mischievous kid, Max, of stealing it. They track down his address & try to break in to retrieve the item.  It’s a comedy of errors, mistakes, & misinformation. This is just a cheap imitation of the original 1990 classic “Home Alone” premise. The British actor playing Max doesn’t display the charm & child innocence that Kevin Macallister had. Buzz Macallister does make a cameo appearance. This remake tries to build on original concepts but it falls far short of the mark. This film seemed doomed from the start. You’d probably be better off just watching the original instead.

Alien gives it 2 “ugly little boy” stars out of 4.

The Power of the Dog

In 1925 Montana, two wealthy cattle rancher brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) & George (Jesse Plemons) have opposite personalities. Phil is volatile & domineering. George is kind & gentle. George is attracted to Rose (Kirsten Dunst) & soon marries her. Rose has an older son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who is studying to be a surgeon & is teased for being on the effeminate side. Phil & Rose don’t get along. Rose takes to drinking in secret. The acting is superb but not much real action occurs. One may start to wonder what is the point of this film that seems to be going nowhere. Finally, as the end approaches, its message becomes clear. 

Alien gives it 2½ “Bronco Henry” stars out of 4.

Dear Christmas 

A popular pod caster/author, Natalie (Melissa Joan Hart) heads home to Lake Tahoe to promote her new book & to broadcast her Holiday Love special. She has recurring run-ins a middle school acquaintance, Chris Massey (Jason Priestley), that she really doesn’t remember at first. This is a cutesy sappy romantic comedy that has Christmas exploded all over it. This story is about find true love. It may be over contrived, but if you like rom/coms & Christmas, you’ll probably have a wonderful feel-good time. 

Alien gives it 2½  “see you tomorrow” stars out of 4.

Archive

In 2038, a roboticist, George (Theo James), is working alone at an abandoned research facility located in a remote forested area. Grieving over the loss of his wife, he is obsessed with developing & perfecting an artificial intelligent unit into which he can download his wife’s consciousness. After her death, her essence was stored in an archive, but just for a limited period. Plagued by power failures & paranoid by possible security breaches, he is secretly hiding his progress in fear that higher ups will intervene & disrupt his work before completion. I️ liked the evolution of his 3 A.I. units but they triggered my Frankenstein alarm sensors. Just as I️ was expecting the villagers to storm the castle, I️ got surprised. Can you recover life after death?

Alien gives it 3 “sibling rivalry & jealousy” stars out of 4.

A Castle for Christmas 

A popular American novelist runs away to Scotland to hide out when her fans turn out her. Sophie Brown ( Brooke Shields) escapes to visit her family roots & ends up buying a castle from Myles (Cary Ewes), a duke who has fallen on hard times & must sell to pay off debts. True to the romantic comedy genre, the story is formulaic & predictable but it still is entertaining. Sophie & Myles will take an instant dislike to each other, slowly draw close to each other, then split up, & finally get back together. No surprise. The Scottish backdrop, the culture, the people, & the accents are terrific. Plus it’s set during the Christmas holiday season. It just may be the feel-good movie that you were looking for.

Alien gives it 2½ “Dun Dunbar” stars out of 4.