- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Media Format : Subtitled
- Dubbed: : English
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- Country of Origin : South Korea
- Number of discs : 1
- Release date : December 6, 2022
For those who think that Hollywood is the only
film industry to capitalize on big, dumb, spectacle-driven films, Alienoid
is solid proof that this isn’t true. Not only is this South Korean full of overblown
action sequences, tons of special effects, and cheesy humor, it is also a
cliffhanger with the sequel already filmed and planned for future release.
Because the sign of a successful blockbuster is no longer a stand-alone film
but the potential for a franchise, Alienoid could be seen as accomplishing
this assuming audiences are interested enough to return for the continuation of
the narrative. Personally, I found myself underwhelmed. Then again, I have had
the same experience with a majority of thriving Hollywood franchises as well.
Part of the difficulty
with Alienoid is that the narrative is unnecessarily convoluted, taking
place over two time periods with a large cast of characters. For a film offering
relatively dumbed down entertainment, Alienoid asks a great deal of effort
from the audience to keep up with what is going on. Even if it makes sense by
the end of the film, the journey may be too confusing for audience members
looking to turn off their brains and be entertained.
Beginning in 14th
century, a team of aliens with advanced technology show up to combat an alien wreaking
havoc. It is revealed that destructive aliens have been imprisoned in human bodies
on Earth by the advanced alien society, which does not believe in death penalty
as a solution for criminals. Guard (Kim Woo-bin) is an alien with a robotic
suit that is tasked with capturing and containing the aliens who manage to escape
from their human bodies, with the help of a robot named Thunder (Kim Dae-myung),
which takes multiple forms from a car to replications of Guard in human form.
When Guard and Thunder
discover a child belonging to the woman imprisoning the alien they have just
dispatched, the pair become impromptu parents. After taking her back to modern
times, Lee Ahn (Choi Yu-ri) grows into a precocious young girl who observes her
parental figures’ bizarre behavior. At the same time, a rebellion begins
amongst the aliens imprisoned on Earth, threatening the human race.
If this modern portion
of the film was all there was, Alienoid could have been a fairly straightforward
blockbuster, but instead the narrative also simultaneously tells the story of a
bumbling swordsman named Mureuk (Ryu Jun-yeol) in the 14th century’s
Goryeo Dynasty who comes across a mysterious woman (Kim Tae-ri) carrying a gun
that is perceived as magic. Although this period storyline eventually connects
to the modern portion of the narrative, much of the film is spent jumping back
and forth between seemingly unrelated plots.
There are
moments of strength within Alienoid, including some impressive special effects
and action sequences, but the overall experience of watching the film may take
more effort than it is worth. Even though there is a sequel already filmed and
planned for release, by the end of the movie I had little interest in spending more
time with this story and these characters. The simple fact that the story is
not resolved at the end of the 140-minute run-time may be enough to put off
some viewers.
For those who
still want to see Alienoid, the Blu-ray release is the best home
entertainment option, especially given the emphasis the film places on visual
spectacle. The Blu-ray also has a making-of featurette, as well as a handful of
trailers for the movie. An English-language dubbing is also an option for those
who are resistant to subtitles.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
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