Alien at the Movies

The Invite 

Olivia Wilde directs & stars in The Invite. This is a comedy drama exploring marriage & relationships. Unbeknownst to the husband Joe (Seth Rogen), his wife Angela (Wilde) has invited their noisy upstairs neighbors Pina & Hawk (Penelope Cruz & Edward Norton) for dInner. This small dinner party quickly becomes awkward & uncomfortable as true feelings are being repressed & silenced out of politeness & respect. But as the evening progresses, surprising revelations are made when the truths come blurting out. Then, things take a spicy turn as more personal intimate details are revealed. This a hilarious scripted dialogue between Joe, Angela, Pina, & Hawk. The performances are terrific as well as the group chemistry. Set mainly in one small apartment, the camera work delivers some interesting visuals. The relation vibes feel real & honest as suppressed resentments & frustrations edge forward. These are two very different couples exploring the possibilities of a common interest. How will this night end? New friendships? More than just friends? Back to square one?

Alien gives it 3 “awkward to titillating” stars out of 4.

Supergirl

Move over Superman… your cousin Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) has arrived. With the destruction of her home planet Krypton & radiation poisoning Argo City, Kara’s dad hopes to spare her life by sending her away to Earth. As she adjusts to her new life with super powers, she is still grieving over losing everyone in her world. Her only companion is her dog Krypto. Krypto is totally CGI & based on James Gunn’s dog in breed & personality. I️ like this edgier, not so perfect, troubled superhero-to-be. Alcock is perfectly casted to play this role. She is a nice contrast to her cousin Superman. To celebrate her 23rd birthday, Kara has planet hopped to a red sun world so she can get a little drunk & feel normal again. While there, Kara meets Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a young girl on a revenge mission to kill the alien Krem who slew her family. Kara is reluctant to assist Ruthye, but when Krem poisons Krypto, she joins forces with Ruthye to seek out the Krem & retrieve an antidote for Krypto. This is an action-packed thrill ride with lots of amazing special effects. Jason Momoa portrays plays a bounty hunter called Lobo & he plays his part with relish. This fun movie is more about these two characters caring for each other & bonding during their journey together. The lessons here are to be kind if you can’t always be nice and you don’t have to be perfect as long as you try to be good. Kara is a strong independent but messy woman who’s is trying to figure out her place in this universe. This one is also for dog lovers..

Alien gives it 3 “red suns, yellow suns, & green suns” stars out of 4.