Alien at the Movies

Respect

This is Aretha Franklin’s (Jennifer Hudson) rise-to-fame story beginning at 10 years old singing in her reverend daddy’s (Forrest Whitaker) church choir. See her struggles with her demons & the people around her who influenced her & tried to control her as she searched to find her voice & her respect. Hear some of her famous hits & see her musical creativity. Hudson is spectacular portraying the Queen of Soul. See a performance by the real Aretha Franklin at the film’s end.

Alien gives it 3 “Re-re-re-re” stars out of 4.

 No Time To Die

Bond (Daniel Craig) is back. His a new squeeze, Madeline (Léa Seydoux), the girl from the last Bond film comes with a past.Spectre is out to kill Bond. The Aston Martin DB5 is also back. Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) is still behind  bars but that doesn’t stop him from messing with Bond. A new insanely criminal villain, Safin (Rami Malek), takes his shot at world destruction. CIA’s Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) along with newbie recruit, Paloma (Ana de Armas), as well as MI6’s M, Q, & Moneypenny lend their support to our favorite 00 agent. Speaking about that, it seems MI6 has a new agent with that famous 007 number. It’s up to Bond to save the world again from this evil plot involving a kidnapped scientist with a bio-weapon & nanobot technology. This spy thriller is action packed. Will one or both of these villains finally put an end to our dear Mr. Bond? Craig almost didn’t come back to reprise this role. It’s likely to be his last. But don’t forget Connery in “Never Say Never Again”. Will Craig return again or go out in a bang? At the end, there is a tease that says Janes Bond will be back.

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

 The King’s Man

In this prequel to the Kingsman franchise, the plot takes us back to the second Boer War & WWI where the Duke of Oxford’s (Ralph Fiennes) battles against hidden enemies manipulating the powers of England, Germany, & Russia in a violent power struggle. The Duke is overprotective of his son, Conrad, after his wife, Emily, was killed. The Duke has his trusty multi-talented domestic servants Shola & Polly (Djimon Hounsou & Gemma Arterton) at his side. Look for violent war & fights scenes with a sprinkling of f-bombs in this action/comedy take on a spy/war thriller. After a few twists & turns, see how the Kingsman Secret Society got its start. Not quite as good as the original but entertaining. A mid-credit clip suggests a possible sequel.

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

Broil

Seventeen-year-old Chance Sinclair (Avery Konrad) is sent away to live with her wealthy grandfather August Sinclair (Timothy V. Murphy) after causing trouble at school. However, this was more coercion on the part of the family patriarch than a mutual agreement.. This horror film hints to a dark secret amongst the Sinclair clan. Chance’s parents are planning a coup in plot to gain control of the family & get their daughter back. They hire an awkward & savant chef (Jonathan Lipnicki) to poison the sinister & creepy August. Lipnicki & Murphy are terrific with Murphy stealing his scenes. Things heat up at the family dinner with the rest of the odd family members in attendance.. The deliberately muddied plot creates an uneasiness & some confusion as audiences try to get a grip on who are we dealing with here… vampires, demons, werewolves, or what? Look out for some twists & turns as individuals are forced to make choices they don’t want to make. Who will survive this nightmare evening?

Alien givers it 2½ “bon appetite” stars out of 4.

Alone

Aiden (Tyler Posey) finds himself barricaded in his apartment due to a global pandemic in fear of being infected by this mystery virus. Sounds like COVID but it is actually just a zombie apocalypse. After 42 days of isolation, water has been shut off, electricity is out, attempts to leave his place was unsuccessful, & despair has set in. As he is about to commit suicide, he spots another survivor, Eva (Summer Spiro), across the street also trapped in her apartment. This gives him hope & they bond from afar & try to save each other. The twitchy undead are terrifying creatures that scream, can move fast, & seem to be lurking around every corner & hallway. This intense horror show has some twists & turns. Aiden’s trusty Louisville slugger is his main weapon of defense. Donald Sutherland is among the supporting cast. Could Aiden & Eva be the lone survivors to repopulate the earth à la Adam & Eve? Or will they too turn cannibalistic? 

Alien gives it 3 “stay alive, be safe” stars out of 4.

Needle in a Timestack

This is a love story set in a sci-fi fantasy world. The title pretty much hints towards what to expect. Nick (Leslie Odom Jr) is married to Janine (Cynthia Erivo). His ex is Alex (Freida Pinto). Her ex is Tommy (Orlando Bloom). Time shifts & time travel are normal accepted occurrences. Nick suspects Tommy of trying to get back with Janine by altering the timeline but with each time shift memories fade & then lost. There is little doubt from the beginning where this story will end up, just not how it gets there. This love quadrilateral is slow to develop & there doesn’t seem to be any consequences for an individual’s actions for their own personal gain. In this fantasy world, it may be hard to believe what is real because all it takes in lots of money to change things. It’s a better love story than a sci-fi story.

Alien gives it 2 “time jaunt” stars out of 4. 

Please Stand By

Wendy (Dakota Fanning) is a 21-year-old autistic living at a San Francisco Bay Area assisted living center. Scottie (Toni Collette) is the caregiver there helping Wendy deal with day-to-day life like riding the bus to to her job at Cinnabon & walking her little dog Pete. Wendy is a huge Star Trek fan & wants to enter Paramount Studio’s script writing contest. Obsessed with meeting the deadline, Wendy decides own to travel 400 plus miles to L.A. to deliver her manuscript. However, many set backs occur. When discovered missing from the center, Wendy’s sister Audry (Alice Eve) & Scottie begin a frantic search. Fanning is outstanding. This drama/comedy will open your eyes to the struggles of the autistic individuals & their effect on friends & family. Star Trek fans will get a kick out of the references & how it’s connected to this film. This is a heart-felt film that will have you rooting for Wendy as she has to deal with all of the harsh realities of the real world that she has doesn’t comprehend. “Please Stand By” is a verbal phrase that Wendy uses to calm herself when the stress of the situation is too much for her to handle.

Alien gives it 3 “Qapla’ Klingon for success” stars out of 4.

Antlers

In a small Oregon town, a school teacher Julia (Kerry Russell) & her brother/sheriff Paul (Jesse Plemons) discover a 12-year-old student Lucas is harboring a dangerous secret. Dead & mutalated bodies start to turn up in this horror mystery. Two thirds of the movie have passed & not much has been revealed about the killer. Whether it’s human, beast, or some indigenous legend, it has yet to be seen. So in the home stretch, it’s up the heroes to end the killings & save the day. But what horror tale doesn’t offer the possibility of a sequel.

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

Kimi

Look out Alexa & Siri, here comes Kimi.

It’s shades of “Rear Window” when an agoraphobic tech worker Angela (Zoë Kravitz) working from home during the pandemic thinks she has uncovered a possible violent crime while reviewing some data streams. Her efforts to report it are met with resistance & bureaucracy. She realizes that she must face her biggest fear, to leave her apartment & deliver the proof. However, thugs have have been sent to stop her & destroy the evidence. Kravitz is convincing as the quirky Angela with lots of issues. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this intense crime thriller focuses on technology & invasion of privacy. As paranoia & desperation take over, Kimi comes to the rescue & Angela nails it. See how easy hackers can flush out your personal private information.

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

The Broken Rose

A young black girl in Oakland is placed in foster care for her protection. Now 17, Rose has suffered mental & physical abuse within the system so she drops out of school & runs away with a sweet talking older boy who takes her in & spoils her. Then her new boyfriend slowly manipulates her into turning tricks for him to support his life style. Then bad goes to worse so Rose tries to escape. This is the sad story of a girl from the hood looking for love & never realizing her self worth. This is a hard watch because of the violence & realism of this dark ugly true side of life.

Alien gives 2½ “Shaka” stars out of 4.

Los Angeles

Jojo is a young mute girl in suspenders who thinks she hears God calling her to save Baby Jesus. She packs up her shoe shine kit with 5 angels & takes a road trip from Tampa to Los Angeles, with Cash, an escaped convict/car thief. FBI agents are on their trail. Along the way, Jojo & Cash stop to put on shows for the locals. Jojo pulls a small box from her shoe shine kit & something magical happens. It’s a most peculiar film about a most peculiar girl on a most peculiar mission. See the lives that Jojo touches. Does Jojo accomplish her mission?

Alien gives it 2 “eccentric spiritual journey” stars out of 4.

I️ Want You Back

Emma (Jenny Slate) & Peter (Charlie Day) discover that they each have been dumped by their partners over the same weekend. As they commiserate with each other & realize both of their partners (Scott Eastwood & Gina Rodriguez) have moved on to new relationships, they decide to sabotage these new couples so they can reunite with their former partners. This is a typical rom/com so it’s not hard to guess where things are headed. It’s not great but entertaining if you enjoy romantic comedies. It’s thirty-somethings trying to figure out love.

Alien gives it 2.“the slow burn” stars out of 4.

 Spider-Man: No Way Home

This third installment of the MCU Spider-Man series picks up with Peter Parker exposed as Spider-Man & causing havoc in his & his friends’ lives. Desperately, he seeks out Dr. Strange to help restore his secret identity but when the magic spell goes wrong, villains & heroes from alternate universes arrive. A big battle ensues as many wrongs are trying to be righted. If you are a fan of the other Spider-Man series, you’ll get a kick out of the references & trying to tie up loose ends. If you haven’t seen the other series, just sit back & enjoy the action & special effects.  This is a sad one for Peter Parker but let’s see where his journey takes him next. A mid credit clip shows us a familiar face & leaves a clue behind. The end of credits clip previews Dr. Strange’s next move.

Alien gives it 4 “never too many Spider-Men” stars out of 4.

A Vigilante

Sadie (Olivia Wilde) is an abused woman who still carries the physical & mental scars as reminders of her husband’s anger & rage. When she escapes his control, he vanishes off the grid. While being treated in a support group, Sadie decides to help others who are suffering from domestic abuse. Self taught & obsessed, Sadie becomes a cool & calm but forceful “Equalizer”. However, you may start to question her sanity as she still suffers emotional breakdowns due to her past traumas. Wilde demonstrates her acting range as her character almost feels psychotic. Then, one day, her past returns to haunt her. This is extremely violent film may contain some hard scenes to watch.

Alien gives it 3 “trucks won’t stop coming” stars out of 4.

Brazen 

It’s “Murder She Wrote” when mystery writer Grace Miller (Alyssa Milano) lends her crime solving skills to catch her sister’s murderer. This is a very contrive storyline which may be difficult to believe. First, Miller develops a romantic relationship with her sister’s next door neighbor who also happens to be a cop & the murder becomes his case. Miller’s sister is an English teacher who moonlights as an online dominatrix which adds a salacious element interest. There is the usual cast of possible suspects but it did not seem very hard for me to pick out the murderer. Of course, Miller is smarter than the cops as she horns her way on to the case even though she is to personally involved. Then, true to genre form, she must put herself in harms way to catch the killer. All of this it not hard to predict any s it follows the tried & true pattern we all have seen before. This movie feels more like a pilot for a TV remake.

Alien gives it 2 “Fantasy Inc.” stars out of 4.

The Vault

When salvage hunters feel they have been unjustly deprived of  their recent legendary treasure find, they team up with a genius engineering student (Freddie Highmore) to break into the Bank of Spain’s most impenetrable vault. This is a thrilling heist film with many twists & turns played under the backdrop of soccer’s World Cup. See if you can problem solve faster than this band of thieves. At the end, see where a possible sequel my occur.

Alien gives it 3 “gold coins” stars out of 4.

Home Team

This film is based on the true events surrounding Sean Payton’s one year suspension from coaching the New Orleans Saints football team & his subsequent joining his son’s school football team as the offensive coordinator. However, this film is played like an Adam Sandler comedy just for laughs, complete with costarring his old buddy Rob Schneider & Adam’s wife Jackie. Taylor Lautner plays the team’s head coach. I’m sure the story has been exaggerated to exploit the comedy & the more appealing struggling underdog angle (think Bad News Bears”). It’s an ok family film with your typical humorous set ups aimed towards kids. No one would ever believe a hard-driven NFL coach like Payton is properly represented by funny man Kevin James’ all to familiar comedic patterns.

Alien gives it 2½ “father/son bonding” stars out of 4.

 Pig

Reclusive truffle forager Rob (Nicolas Cage) is devastated when his prize truffle-sniffing pig is stolen. After 15 years living off the grid in the woods, he sets off back to Portland in search of his beloved pig. This film is as odd as the weird character Cage portrays. Some critics seem to love this film but I️ don't get it. I️ was hoping for more & something more eventful. I️ could never get in sync with the storyline. I️ just felt sad & depressed feeling Rob’s pain.

Alien give it 2 “grief & loss” stars out of 4.

I️ Care A Lot

Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a villainous con woman who makes her living as a court-appointed guardian, seizing the assets of vulnerable elderly people & controlling their lives. Pike’s portrayal makes her the person you’d love to hate. She is ambitious & always one step ahead. All is going as cleverly planned until she selects her next victim (Dianne Wiest) who has a connection to a powerful shady person (Peter Dinklage). This thriller is a very dark satirical comedy. This one may take some twists & turns that you may not anticipate coming.

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

The Devil All the Time

In this postwar backwoods rural setting, the many brutal & corrupt stories of several sinister characters converge around the orphaned Arvin (Tom Holland). His upbringing has taught him to be protective of his love ones. This is a dark tale of what evil & misguidance lurks in the minds of an evangelist, a husband/wife serial killer team, a morally corrupt preacher, & a dirty cop. The supporting cast includes Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgärd, Sebastian Stan, Jason Clarke, & Mia Wasikowska. The performances are terrific but the plot is a dark & violent one. 

Alien gives it 2½ “prayer log” stars out of 4. 

The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild

This sixth edition of the Ice Age franchise is a spin-off/standalone sequel to “Ice Age: Collision Course”. This one features possum brothers, Crash & Eddie, declaring their independence from the pack & striking out on their own. On their misadventures, the brothers stumble on to eye-patched Buck Wild, zorilla Zee, & the Lost World where they battle it out with Orson the big brain protoceratops & his raptor henchmen. It’s prehistoric hijinks as the idiot brothers provide the comic relief with Buck as the brains & Zee is the brawn against the evil dinosaurs. This family friendly film is aimed toward the little kiddies. The more familiar main Ice Age characters, Manny, Ellie, Sid, & Diego only have brief roles & aren’t even voiced by their original actors.

Alien gives it 2 “animal warfare” stars out of 4.

The Tinder Swindler

This is every girl’s nightmare when looking for love online. You swipe right & that too-good-to-be-true guy shows up as a match. He is good looking, rich, thoughtful, kind, & generous while living it up big & lavishly worldwide. He says he loves you & asks you to move in with him in a new luxury apartment. Blinded by love, the victim(s) never sees it coming or believe they are being conned in some outrageous Ponzi scheme. This documentary tells their true stories about how they were duped & struggled to get justice. Can you con a con man? See if these women get their pound of flesh from this oh so clever & convincing con artist. This true story is fascinatingly unbelievable. This film is well-made effectively editing the many pieces of an elaborate puzzle with convincingly honest interviewees to share their horrific experiences.

Alien gives it 3 “lifestyles of the fake rich & famous” stars out of 4.

Nightmare Alley

This is Guillermo del Toro’s exquisite neo-noir psychological crime drama remake of the 1947 original of the same name. Stan (Bradley Cooper) is a man with a mysterious past who joins a traveling carnival where he learns how to be a mentalist. His ambition & his love for Molly (Rooney Mara) has the two leaving the shady carney business to perfect their night club act for high society. There, they meet psychologist Lilith (Cate Blanchett) who helps Stan dupe his new high class clients by feeding off their weaknesses as well as their money. Well, you can read it in the cards, the big con spins out of control for the drifter turn grifter who defies warnings to avoid the spook show. You’ll be fascinated by the carney environment & their way of life. See how deceit & deception play out in these two very different worlds. The all star cast also includes Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, & David Strathairn. They are all marvelous. This 1940’s period piece is very dark in nature & may not be to everyone’s liking.

Alien gives it 3 “Shut Eye” stars out of 4.

50K

Six young amateur thieves in Mexican wrestler masks decide to rob $50,000 from a wealthy man. They have him tied up in his basement hoping to score some easy money. Of course, it’s not that easy as the situation escalates from bad to worse in this psychological drama. These 3 guys & 3 girls are so naive in their not-so-well thought out robbery scheme perpetuated by making some stupid choices. Is their any honor among thieves when greed & suspicion take over? See who survives & ends up with the money as the intensity cranks up. If you are among the squeamish, there are a few horrific scenes to avert your eyes. 

Alien gives it 3 “the torture twins” stars out of 4. 

The Colony (also known as Tides)

In the not too distant future, a second exploratory mission from Kepler Colony is sent back to an Earth devastated by a global catastrophe. Unfortunately, the crew is attacked by local savages, called the Muds. One astronaut, Blake, manages to escape & is rescued by a more civilized group. Much of this sci-fi drama takes place along the foggy shoreline. In the beginning, the plotline seems to be as hazy as this coastal climate. This primarily English language film is peppered with some untranslated German & Swiss dialog, which adds to the mystery & confusion of the story. It’s a good premise on low budget but poor on execution.

Alien gives it 2 “Ulysses 2” stars out of 4.

The Wolf & the Lion

A chance meeting brings a student pianist, a wolf pup, & a lion cub together on a secluded Canadian island. See how these seemingly natural enemies, a canine & a feline, come together & bond with each other as well as with their human rescuer. This wonderful family friendly film reminds me of those good old Disney animal movies where the unlikely creatures grow up together, become separated, reunite, & find their way home. The film’s heavy handed message is about protecting nature & animals. Although very predictable, it is a cute nature story about our precious creatures & how amazing nature is. Trained animals, four wolves & two lions, were used in the filming & were supposed to be sent to different wildlife sanctuaries at the end, but they got along so famously that they ended up staying together in Canada.

Alien gives it 3 “music soothes the savage beast” stars out of 4.