Alien at the Movies

Deadpool & Wolverine 

Deadpool/Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) & Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman) are back together on the big screen fighting to save timelines in Marvel’s multiverse. Deadpool wants the Avengers experience but is denied. He retires from the superhero business to become a used car salesman. He has broken up with his girlfriend Vanessa. However, the Time Variance Authority  reaches out to him with bad news about his failing timeline. But he learns he restore the timeline with the help of Wolverine. This is a tongue-in-cheek action/adventure that will poke fun of Marvel’s comic book heroes & their journey get to this point. The more you know about Marvel & their characters, the more you may recognize the jokes. Our two heroes are taken to the Void (a Mad Max/Furiosa world parody) where they meet many surprise cameos & some twists. Cassandra Nova is the lead villain. Look for lots of familiar faces. Filmmakers play up the humorous side of everything they can exploit including the Marvel Universe itself. The many choreographed fight scenes are punctuated with familiar pop songs. As star, writer, & executive producer, Reynolds manages to make it a family affair with wife Blake Lively voicing her body doubled Ladypool & his kids Inez & Olin playing Kidpool & Babypool. This film is rated R for strong language & sexual references. Look for some nostalgic film footages mid credit & some final words from a Marvel hero.

Alien gives it  3 “Anchor Being & Time Ripper” stars out of 4.

Young Woman & the Sea

Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle’s inspirational story starts off in 1914 New York City. She has the measles & the doctor doesn’t think she will survive the night. But she does. Her parents are German immigrants. Her father is a butcher. Her mother is protective of her children. Meg is her older sister & her best friend. She also has a brother. This is a very sexist & paternal world & times. Her mom is determined to find swimming lessons for her girls for their own protection. Trudy takes to the water well & begins to win swimming competitions. She evens competes in the 1924 Summer Olympics in France. After seeing newsreels about men attempting to swim the English Channel, Trudy becomes obsessed with that challenge & making that her goal. This is an inspirational story of determination. It’s also a heartwarming story about the love of family & how a community can come together during times dire times.

Alien gives it 3½ “Ain’t we got funl” stars out of 4.

Fly Me to the Moon

In the late 50’s, President Kennedy hoped to put a man on the moon within the next decade. Thus, triggered the great space race against the Soviet Union. This is a fond look back at the 60’s & man’s monumental moon mission. Some say the famous moon footage was faked.

This is a tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy drama about the behind the scenes happenings leading to that historic moment. How it happened? How it might have happened? Did it happen? A expert marketing specialist Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is contacted by a mysterious government agent Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) to promote NASA’s public image & to prepare a back-up fake lunar landing in case the real mission fails. Kelly is a femme fatale who can manipulate everyone to get her way & also has a dark past & secret. Channing Tatum plays Cole Davis, the NASA launch director & an expert at fire control. He is a handsome hunk & a perfect romantic pairing for the gorgeous Miss Jones. It’s an amusing “what if” romantic tale told with a major human achievement as the backdrop & a touch of “The Sting” meets “That Darn Cat” for flavoring. It’s a nostalgic look back if you were around back then.

Alien gives it 3 “broom test” stars out of 4.

Sympathy for the Devil

David Chamberlain (Joel Kinnaman) rushes to meet his wife at the hospital. They are expecting a baby. As he arrives, a mysterious man (Nicholas Cage) jumps into his car, points a gun to his head, & says drive. This psychological thriller becomes almost a two-person cat-and-mouse road trip game to hell. Cage plays this quirky odd passenger as a psychopathic tormented killer who has no remorse for any collateral damage. Tension & madness builds as the body count rises. Slowly, the passenger reveals the true nature of his mission. He thinks David is a guy named James Levine & he is out for revenge. Is the passenger delusional? Who will survive the night? Who is telling the truth? What would you do to protect your family?

Alien gives it 2½ “rabbit’s foot” stars out of 4.

Love Lies Bleeding

This is a noir crime thriller with shades of the Incredible She-Hulk meets Attack of Fifty Foot Woman. It’s 1989 in some small desert town where gym manager “Lou” (Kristen Stewart) meets & falls in love with a bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian), who is on her way to a bodybuilder contest in Las Vegas. This love story features love at first sight, lesbian lovers, & a love triangle. Lou is estranged from her father Lou Sr (Ed Harris), loves her sister Beth (Jenna Malone), & hates her brother-in-law JJ (Dave Franco). As we follow the trail of dead bodies, the story will involve the FBI, a couple of cleanup/coverup situations, a spousal abuser, a steroids abuser, some blackmail/coercion attempts, & some psychosis/hallucinations. There also something shady going on in this little town. The film does take some quirky metaphoric visual liberties to shock eyes of audiences. I liked this bizarre film but it’s likely not for everyone’s tastes. I️ was curious about the meaning of the title. “Love Lies Bleeding” is the name of a South American plant with crimson flowers & historically associated with forlorned & hopeless love. 

Alien gives it 3 “the power of love” stars out of 4.

The Long Game

Set in Del Rio, Texas, during the mid 1950’s, this is a story about racism, discrimination, & segregation laws. JB Peña (Jay Hernandez) & Frank Mitchell (Dennis Quaid) were old army buddies. Frank is trying to help JB get a membership in the town’s prestigious golf country club. However, he was politely refused due his heritage even though no one would admit it. JB’s run-in with some local Mexican-American boys gives him a new inspiration.  He was a school superintendent. These boys worked as caddies at that country club & had even built their own golf hole just so they can practice. JB proposes to create a school golf team using these boys in order to change the perception of Latinos in this white dominated town. JB would be their coach & Frank would be the assistant coach. Their goal was to win the state championship & to effect change. We follow their troubles & struggles as this true story unfolds. 

Alien gives it 3 “Go Mustangs” stars out of 4.

Twisters 

Those whirlwinds of mass destruction have returned to the Midwest for the big screen. Is this a remake or a sequel to the 1996 Twister? It is really neither. It’s just different storm chasers trying to study this mysterious & deadly phenomenon. We have Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones). She has been fascinated about twisters all her life & is determined to control them. She has great instincts & has an enthusiastic team. But the risks with their studies can have severe repercussions. Then there is Tyler (Glen Powell). He is a cocky & reckless social media influencer broadcasting his wild storm chasing stunts to the world (think Kardashians of the tornado world). These two seem completely different in their approaches & values. Each has their team & methods to tackle their goals. And so the stage is set for their confrontation. Hang on to your seats for quite a show. Experience several extreme situations being caught in the middle of tornado alley in Oklahoma. Whether it’s CGI or practical physical effects, the results are absolutely stunning. That’s the closest I️ want to be in a twister. Director Lee Isaac Chung has moved up this harrowing experience several notches. Both Edgar-Jones & Powell are terrific. Can twisters be tamed?

Alien gives it 3½ “You don’t face your fears, you ride ‘em” stars out of 4.

My Spy: The Eternal City

Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, Ken Jeong, & company reprise their roles in this sequel to the 2020 original “My Spy”. CIA field agent JJ (Bautista) has taken a less risky analyst desk job in order spend more quality family time with now 14-year-old Sophie (Coleman) & her mom. Sophie is at that rebellious teen age & butts heads with her father figure JJ. Sophie has a crush on a handsome jock boy & plots to be with him. The school choir has an overseas field trip scheduled to sing for the Pope at the Vatican. Overprotective JJ has signed on to help chaperone these teens determine to break rules & curfews. Meanwhile on the spy side, terrorists are plotting to steal nuclear weapons secrets & extort monies from countries by threatening them with detonations. It’s a typical spy plot of breaking & entering theft, taking hostages, rescue victims, being double crossed, vehicle chase scenes, & race against the clock before the big explosion. This action comedy balances thrilling spy drama against examining parent/child relationships. This movie seems to be targeting tween-agers in this PG-13 family fun film with a little edge. Look for a surprise mid credit singing session. 

Alien gives it 2½ “Popemobile/kill switch” stars out of 4.

 Quiz Lady

When their gambling addicted mother disappears from the nursing home, two estranged sisters, Anne (Awkwafina) & Jenny (Sandra Oh) reunite & must reconcile in order to pay the ransom on dognapped Mr. Linguine. In this screwball comedy, reckless & untrustworthy Jenny tricks game show obsessed Anne into making a crazy road trip to audition for her favorite TV quiz show in order to earn $80,000 for rescue money. Will Ferrell, Holland Taylor, Jason Swartzman, & Tony Hale are among the supporting cast along with a surprise cameo. Oh was over-the-top funny. This one is about sisterhood & for those game show fans. As the wacky film winds down, funny character summaries pop up on the screen. 

Alien gives it 3 “Can’t Stop the Quiz” stars out of 4.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

 After 40 years since the original film, that reckless, wise-cracking Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills yet again when his former partner/P.I. Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) & his estranged daughter/attorney Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige) are endangered by crooked cops & the drug cartel. Not much has changed as Axel & company keep sticking their noses where they don’t belong, getting themselves arrested or captured, crashing vehicles in wild car chases, & fighting in blazing gun battles. See some old familiar franchise faces & meet some new ones. Kevin Bacon & Joseph Gordon-Levitt were added to the cast. It’s the basic police corruption plot where victims get framed & must prove their innocence.

Alien gives it 3 “Trust me” stars out of 4.

Project Silence

A massive automobile pileup during a foggy night on a collapsing bridge sets loose top secret government Project Silence upon the crash survivors. The cover story is that these mysterious creatures are rabid dogs, but are they? Will SWAT rescue be sent in? Or are the authorities just trying to bury the truth? Who will survive? Can these victims save themselves? Are you afraid of dogs or being bitten? It’s terror through the night as various escape plans are formulated. Dark & hazy fear lurks about nipping at your heels. Will there be a doggone sequel? This is a Korean film with subtitles.

Alien gives it 3 “Blue House” stars out of 4.

Dead Like Me: Life After Death

Georgia “George” has been dead & has been working as a grim reaper for 5 years. She & her fellow grim reaper colleagues suddenly get a new boss who has a very different management style which throws their duties in turmoil. Thus, the team begin to break the rules since the new doesn’t seem to care. This quirky fantasy comedy drama seems to be a directionless mess 2/3 of the way through because I️ wasn’t sure where the plot was going. But it finally settles down focusing on the grief of Grorge’s sister & mother over George’s sudden unexpected death. This is a dark comedy dealing issues related to the tragedy of death but using humor to counter the sadness. 

Alien gives it 2½ “space toilet” stars out of 4.

Despicable Me 4

Gru, his wife Lucy, adopted girls Margo, Edith, & Agnes, along with all of those lovable minions are back for more fun & misadventures. Gru & Lucy have welcomed a son Gru Jr. into the family. Maxime Le Mal is an old school rival that becomes Gru’s latest nemesis, Cockroach Man. Maxime’s girlfriend is Valentina. An altercation puts Maxime in prison, but his subsequent escape puts Gru & his family at risk. So AVL (Anti Villain League) puts Gru & family in a safe house & the witness protection program. Hilarity ensues with shades of “Captain America” meets “Mission Impossible” meets “The Karate Kid” with a hair salon disaster & some supermarket mayhem to tickle our funny bones. It’s rapid fire sight gags & hijinks for great family fun. Release your inner child as those adorable minions behave like uncontrolled spoiled brats exploding all over the big screen.

Alien gives it 3½ “Honey Badger” stars out of 4.