Alien at the Movies

The Marvels

This is a tale of revenge & making amends when the Kree punish the Skulls & other friends/loved ones of the Annihilator for destroying their world’s resources. Kree leader, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), with her new wrist bangle, a Quantum Band, is causing rifts in the universe by her opening jump points to steal air, water, & sunlight. Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) joins forces with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), & Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) to prevent the possible destruction of the universe. This trio has different superpowers all related to the energy of light & a freak accident creates an unexpected swapping effect. They must learn to unite & operate as a team to defeat this powerful enemy. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and & his team of S.A.B.E.R agents are caught in the middle. In a bold move, this Marvel film has a little of everything from wild thrilling action to musical dance numbers to cat corralling while destroying worlds & experiencing unexpected teleportation. At the film’s end, look for a cameo & a hint towards a new team to be assembled. Also stay for a mid credit scene with a surprise cameo & another multiverse possibility. The Kevin Feige machine has been busy planning their next possible Marvel futures.

Alien gives it 3 “Accuser vs. Annihilator” stars out of 4.

Thanksgiving 

There’s a stalker targeting certain residents in Plymouth, Mass. Hopefully, you aren’t invited to his Thanksgiving feast. Welcome to another holiday themed teen slasher film with a mysterious masked man inflicting gory pain & suffering to his victims. Between “Halloween” & “Violent Night”, we need a little more terror in our lives as the year draws to an end. This  bloody tale begins a year prior on Thanksgiving night at a RightMart Black Friday sale gone terribly wrong by a disturbingly overzealous crowd gone berserk. True to the genre, the audience must figure out the killer & his motive before audiences are overloaded with horrendous & disturbingly hilarious murders & mayhem. Patrick Dempsey aka Dr. McDreamy from TV’s Grey’s Anatomy plays the sheriff in charge of the investigation. Everyone else is relatively unknown & therefore expendable. Social media & livestream videos are large driving forces in this plot. This one can be laughable & ludicrously entertaining for some. Who will survive? Will the killer escape & haunt us annually?

Alien gives it 3 “#23” stars out of 4. 

Wish

A sorcerer named Magnifico uses his magical powers to save & protect the priceless wishes of people around him. He invites people from all over to live in his Kingdom of Rosas in exchange for their precious wishes which he promises to protect. A young girl named Asha visits King Magnifico to interview for a position as his apprentice. She becomes quite disturb at what she witnesses during this meeting. So distraught, she makes a wish later that evening. Then a star named Stellar visits Asha to assist in dealing with her dilemma. This is the story of overwhelming greed for power corrupting an individual’s decisions & being seduced to the dark side of magic. It’s also the story of a community banding together to right a wrong. This is a marvelous story perfect for Disney’s 100 year celebration. Look for the many Disney Easter Eggs imbedded into this musical animated film. When you wish upon a star… At the end of the credits, there is one last musical moment.

Alien gives it 3½ “Magic Wand & Staff” stars out of 4.

The Holdovers

It’s the winter break at Barton Academy, a New England prep boarding school, in 1970 & everyone has gone home for the holidays except the holdovers, those students that have nowhere to go. First, there were 4, then there were 5, & finally just one, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), a smart but damaged troublemaker. Also, one instructor & one cook stay on campus to manage the holdovers. The instructor is Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a strict curmudgeon no one likes. The cook is Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who just lost her son in the Viet Nam War. In this comedy/drama, these 3 lonely individuals strike an unlikely bond while on their adventure where they reveal their true selves to each other & they try to help each other. This touching story reminds us that even during the holidays, there are those suffering with sadness & depression and there are those that care about them.

Alien gives it 3 “Boston field trip” stars out of 4.

Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes  

After a brief glimpse of Panem’s civil war dark days, the scene jumps to 64 years prior to the original Hunger Games movie. At the reaping for the 10th Annual Hunger Games, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from District 12 is selected as the female tribute. Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) becomes her mentor. They develop a bond & help each other during this ordeal. This prequel takes a look at the future Panem president (originally played by Donald Sutherland) & the early days of the Games. Head games maker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) & intellectual author of the games Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) are the twisted minds that drive the Games. At 157 minutes, it’s quite a movie marathon. Unless you have read the book, some of what’s before your eyes may not be perceived. See who survives & who dies. 

Alien gives it 3 “building an audience” stars out of 4.

Leo

Leo is a 74-year-old lizard & Squirtle, the turtle, has been his terrarium companion at a Florida elementary school for decades. Together, they plot to escape into the real world. This is a coming-of-age animated musical comedy as seen through the eyes of these pets & how the kids & teachers react to them. It involves kids’ insecurities about themselves, different teaching motivation styles, learning life’s lessons, jealousy, & regret. This funny kids film will take you back to your elementary school days… the dreaded substitute teachers, weekend care for the class pet, & feeling awkward about your kid self. The turtle & lizard talk but they try to keep it a secret. There is a security drone that tries to keep law & order in the classroom. It’s hilarious fun for kids but also highly entertaining for any accompanying adults with its subtle visual jokes & over-the-kids-head humor. This was great family entertainment with good lessons to be learned.

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

Life After Beth

When Zach (Dane DeHaan) discovers that his girlfriend Beth (Aubrey Plaza) has somehow returned from the dead, he is delighted, but soon his joy turns to horror as she slowly undergoes a horrible transformation. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the situation then turns even worse. This is insane horror/comedy about dealing with love & grief after a death & moving forward with a zombie apocalypse in the background. In the supporting cast is Paul Reiser, Cheryl Hines, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, & Anna Kendrick. This film is quirky funny but not likely suited for everyone’s tastes. I️ enjoyed the performances more than the storyline.

Alien gives it  2½ “Let’s go for a hike” stars out of 4.

Trolls Band Together 

Those lovable Trolls, Poppy & Branch, are back for another musical adventure. It seems that Branch was part of the singing band Brozone with his brothers, John Dory, Spruce, Clay, & Floyd back when he was in called Baby Branch. However, egos got in the way & the band broke up & each went their own way. Years later at the royal wedding of King Gristle Jr & Bridget, John Dory returns to enlist Branch’s help to free Floyd from imprisonment by the sing duo of Velvet & Veneer. Thus, the brothers unite to save Floyd. Gristle & Bridget along with Poppy join in the rescue mission. Poppy meets Viva, a long lost relative. This family fun film is designed for the kiddies & those boy band fans. Look for all of the boy band references & listen to all of the pop songs played. It’s a nostalgic trip back in time. There is one mid credit clip.

Alien gives it 3 “essence of Troll” stars out of 4.

Showdown at the Grand

Movie theater owner, George Fuller (Terrence Howard) is being squeezed by a big corporation trying to buyout his beloved retro art deco Warner Grand Theater. This theater is his passion where he promotes his favorite action star, Claude Luc Halladay (Dolph Lundgren) & low budget cheesy films. Fuller even collects Halladay film memorabilia & enshrines them at his theater. Desperate to boost attendance, Fuller invites Halladay for a personal appearance. Meanwhile, the corporate goons are sent to persuade Fuller to sign over the deed to his property, by force in necessary. This one is played out like an old time western. This film is also a tribute to those old movie houses & to those schlocky B movie films.

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

Journey to Bethlehem 

It’s a “Jesus Christ Superstar” rom/com prequel in this musical telling about the meeting & uniting of Mary & Joseph, the travels of the 3 wise men, & the relationship of King Herod & his son. I️ would never have dreamed of this imaginative take on the Mary/Joseph/Jesus story played with song & dance along with this sense of humor. The goal here was to mold the age old familiar story into a more entertaining tasty bite for today’s movie audiences. The musical numbers are wonderful. The visuals are great with attention to details. This is a terrific family film due to open early November ready for the holiday season.

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

The Marsh King

It seems another “Where the Crawdads Sings” at the beginning of this this psychological thriller but it’s not quite. Living off the grid in the marshlands of Northern Michigan, a survivalist, Jacob Holbrook aka Marsh King (Ben Mendelsohn) teaches his 10-year-old daughter, Helena, how to track, hunt, & survive in the wilderness. Helena is devoted to her dad & idolizes him. One day, Helena’s mom, Beth, seizes an opportunity to escape the isolated cabin with her confused daughter. Jacob tracks them down but is caught & arrested as Helena learns that her beloved father figure is not exactly who he appeared to be. Jump ahead 20 years & now adult Helena (Daisy Ridley) is married with a daughter of her own & has distanced herself her former world as well as buried her past. Helena’s now idyllic world is shattered when the FBI shows up at her home because Jacob has escaped from prison. She never told her husband nor anyone about her past. She becomes paranoid & is constantly looking over her shoulders. Jacob had taught her to always protect your family so the prey turns predator in order to save her little girl. It’s a fairly predictable storyline but Mendelsohn & Ridley give outstanding performances. 

Alien gives it 2½ “tatoo markings” stars out of 4.

Troll

New York City had King Kong. Tokyo had Godzilla. Now, Oslo has its ancient legendary giant mountain Troll headed their way. When a huge crater & impressions resembling large footprints are discover, paleontologist Nora Tidemann is invited to join a ragtag band of scientists & the military aiming to stop this creature based on Norwegian folklore. Will Oslo suffer a similar fate as NYC & Tokyo? My hopes were high but the Troll is less meaning than anticipated.

Alien gives it 2½ “ultraviolet rays” stars out of 4.

The Kill Room

A hitman Reggie (Joe Manganiello), his boss Gordon (Samuel L. Jackson), & an art dealer Patrice (Uma Thurman) get involved in a money laundering scheme that accidentally turns the assassin into an avant-garde conceptual art sensation. It’s a comedy of errors that sets up this satirical crime comedy/thriller that pits the art world against the underworld. These 3 find themselves in deep trouble as this newfound notoriety begins to draw too much attention. How will they get out of the deep hole they dug themselves into? Thurman’s real life daughter Maya Hawke has a supporting role. If you like dark comedies, you may enjoy this film,

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

Radical

A new teacher Sergio Juárez (Eugenio Derbez) comes to teach sixth grade in the small impoverished Mexican border town of Matamoros. The students here have little hope of much improvements of lifestyle in their futures. They face the daily hardships of being relatively poor & being surrounded by the violence & the influences of gangs & drugs. Education takes a backseat to life’s realities. Their school has little money to afford the proper tools to assist in their education. But along comes Sergio with his unorthodox methods of teaching to inspire curiosity & potential in his students. This film is based on a true story. It’s inspiring & touching with some tear-jerking moments. ¿Se habla Español? There are English subtitles. At the film’s end, there are photos of the real life characters portrayed & a summary showing how much difference this one teacher had made.

Alien gives it 3½ “Archimedes’ principle of displacement” stars out of 4.