Alien at the Movies

Venom: The Last Dance

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) & Venom return in this third installment of the trilogy. On the run since the Carnage episode, they are getting drunk in Mexico & decide to go to New York City to clear Eddie’s name in connection to a murder. Along their way, they get diverted to Las Vegas & Area 51, are hunted down by the Imperium military group, get attacked by xenophages sent by Knull searching for the Codex, & meet a hippy family of alien enthusiasts. It’s a battle for survival & redemption in this crazy CGI action film. Will this be the last time we will see Venom? Will Knull escape his prison? Will Eddie be finally symbiote free? Look for a mid credit promise & an end of credit reveal.

Alien gives it 3 “shoeless Eddie” stars out of 4.

Killer Heat

On the Greek island of Crete, American private detective Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is secretly hired by Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) to investigate the death of her husband Elias’ identical twin brother Leo. The wealthy Vardakis family controls the police & nearly everyone on the island so the case was closed & ruled as an accidental death. She tells Nick she suspects it may have been murder. The family fears any more attention may harm the family’s business stock value. This is a modern day noir murder mystery detective story complete with the troubled sleuth’s voiceover narration. It’s a tale of jealousy & betrayal with the focus on the key suspects: the brother, the wife, & the mother. I️ had my suspicions from the get go, but there were some twists & turns that I️ did not see coming. Who will take the fall? Who will survive the outcome? Will Nick get some closure? 

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

The Royal Bake Off

Former friends & coworkers, Allie & Marily, are now competitors in their small town of  Meadow Ridge. They both learned to bake working with Nana Lola. However, they had a falling out & each opened their own bakeries. When the Prince of Samavia arrives looking a coronation cake for his brother’s celebration, the rivalry between Allie & Marily intensifies. Prince James’ fond childhood memories of Nana Lola’s special cake brought him back to Meadow Ridge for that tasty treat. A bake off is proposed to choose the royal baker for the coronation. It”s a fairly generic & predictable rom/com plot. Jealousy & competitiveness get in the way of fair play until these two ladies realize the error of their ways. It’s lighthearted entertainment.

Alien gives it 2 “Double Strawberry Charlotte Cake” stars out of 4.

Canary Black

Avery Graves (Kate Beckinsale) is a CIA agent forced to retrieve a mysterious file referred to as “Canary Black” in order to save her kidnapped husband, David. She must go against her CIA counterparts with the clock ticking. This is mostly a series of big action scenes tying together a blackmail scheme to trigger a bigger blackmail scheme with Agent Graves almost single handily battling on her coerced mission. Who can she trust? With twists & turns, Graves must get down to the truth, rescue her husband, & save the day. It’s almost a given that the hero will almost always save the day, but will she have brunt too many bridges along the way? Will she be able to save her husband & their marriage? What is this Canary Black? Will there be a sequel for Agent Graves? Ray Stevenson costars.

Alien gives it 2½ “MC6 & that crazy bitch” stars out of 4.

 Magpie

 Ben & Anette’s (Daisy Ridley) young daughter, Matilda, lands a starring role along side of a popular & glamorous movie star, Alicia. Ben chaperones Matilda to the film sets, while Anette stays home to care for their fussy newborn. Ben soon finds himself attracted to the flirty Alicia. However, when Anette suspects that Ben may be infatuated with Alicia & possibly been unfaithful, she seeks out evidence of any secrets & lies that her husband may be harboring. We watch the disintegration of their marriage as the tension builds with each romantic text message that flashes across the phone screens. The surprise conclusion happens after the film shoots are finally over. Will Ben & Alicia’s relationship be finally over now? Will Ben & Annette finally get to patch up their waning relationship? Is there divorce in the picture? I️ was completely caught off guard with this film. I may have to rewatch this film.

Alien gives it 3½ “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned” stars out of 4. 

Brothers

This crime comedy features Jady (Peter Dinklage) & Moke (Josh Brolin) as twin brothers of a family of felons, the Mungers. Casting these 2 leads is reminiscent of Danny DeVito & Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Twins” without the genetics experimentation explanation. Jady was always the brains of the two while Moke was the muscle & the man with the skills. Chased by the police after an emerald gems heist, their mom, Cath, disappears for 30 years with her boyfriend, Glen. As the Munger brothers’ life of crime continues, Jady takes the fall one night while Moke escapes. Moke goes straight & gets married. After years in prison, Jady gets an early parole through a shady deal with a crooked correctional officer, Farful (Brendan Fraser) & his crooked father, Judge Farful (M. Emmet Walsh). Then, mom Cath (Glenn Close) shows up to dig up the hidden gems with the help of her sons. Marissa Tomei is among the supporting cast. This is supposed to be a screwball comedy, but seems more like a series of odd quirky situations strung together. In the end, it’s all about being a family & looking out for each other. I’m not even sure why these famed actors signed up for this project. I️ don’t feel the chemistry between the actors & the film just feels flat barely raising a chuckle & a grin. Maybe it’s just not my sense of humor.

Alien gives it 1½ “friendly orangutan” stars out of 4. 

Late Bloomers

Louise (Karen Gillian) is an aimless 28-year-old who breaks her hip while drunk one night. While at the hospital, she meets an angry cranky elderly Polish woman, Antonia, who doesn’t speak English & seems to be mad at everyone & everything. Louise is too kind hearted & tries to be nice to Antonia. She ends up being hired as Antonia’s caretaker. This is a funny & emotional drama/comedy as two slowly bond without admitting it to each other. We slowly learn about why each are the way they are. Antonia only speaks in Polish with no translation. So Louise’s reactions & monologues tries to explain their situations. This coming-of-age growing up story is frustratingly funny with a feel good ending.

Alien gives it 3 “diapers, dance, & physical therapy” stars out of 4.

Goodrich

Andy Goodrich is about to get a wake up call that will take him on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Andy (Michael Keaton) is a 60-year-old art dealer, married to a much younger wife, Naomi, & has 9-year-old twins, Billie & Mose. Late one night, he gets a call from Naomi saying she has checked into rehab & is thinking about leaving him. Now he is faced with all of those parenting responsibilities his wife took care of, while he was so busy with work. As he struggles playing single dad, he calls up his 36-year-old daughter, Grace (Mila Kunis) from his first marriage for help. Andy is also stressed because of financial problems at his art gallery. This drama comedy deals with parenting issues, father/child bonds, & trying to multitask. Keaton & Kunis are outstanding & will bring you to tears & give you some laughs. Can Andy reinvent himself into being a better dad? Can he save his failing business? Can he patch things up with his older daughter? This is a funny bittersweet journey for a man trying to be a good dad & provider as well as trying to make amends for past failures.

Alien gives it 3 “Where is mom?” stars out of 4.

Panda Plan

It’s “Die Hard” meets “Jurassic Park” meets “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” when legendary Kung Fu action movie star Jackie Chan (playing himself) is invited to adopt a beloved Noah Zoo panda cub named Big Babe. However, a notorious international crime syndicate has plans to kidnap the panda offering a huge reward. Jackie, like John McClane, is the fly in the ointment who mucks up the kidnap scheme. It becomes a game of hide & seek on this huge animal park. This is an action comedy featuring all of those Jackie Chan theatrics we all love… crazy action stunts with his sense of humor. It’s a silly romp not to be taken seriously as this outrageous plot plays out… but it is entertaining & family friendly fun. The storyline with a surprise twist leans more to comedy than action drama. This film is spoken in part Mandarin & in part English with subtitles. Even if you are slow in reading subtitles, it is still easy to catch the drift of what’s happening. The story relies more on the action occurring. With Jackie Chan & a cute baby panda… what could go wrong? They are both adorable. This movie is targeting younger kids.

Alien gives it 2½ “forklifts & rhinos… oh my!” stars out of 4.

Smile 2

This is a behind-the-scenes & backstage look at the life of Skye Ryder (Naomi Scott), a pop music star celebrity sensation, but it has a psychological horror twist to it. After recovering from a tragic auto accident & a stint in rehab for drugs & alcohol addiction, Skye is about to relaunch her career with a world tour. She is feeling the stresses being placed on her. The rehearsals, her controlling mom, her fans, her personal appearances, & a nagging back injury are getting to her. When she sneaks out to secretly get pain meds from her friend Lewis, a tragic self-mutilation death occurs. Thus, begins Skye’s horrifying journey where she is haunted by creepy smiling faces. This sequel to the 2022 original “Smile” also leaves audiences to ponder whether is she just hallucinating, or is this some paranormal curse, or is this some parasitic demonic infection. Expect much blood & gore as Skye’s torment escalates to the point that she can’t recognize what is real & what is not. The film is filled with lots of beautiful as well as horrific images. There will be those anticipated jump scares always lurking. Scott is terrific as the diva who seems to have gone madly insane. I️ did love the choreographed song & dance numbers. The film climaxes at Skye’s big comeback concert but may leave you wondering what have you just seen. The experience is mind bending & your eyes won’t be able to unsee certain scenes. Be forewarned that this may not be your cup of tea & may leave you with emotional scars.

Alien gives it 3 “Stay hydrated & I️ am in control” stars out of 4.