Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of August 12, 2024
Alien: Romulus
Rated R for language and bloody violent content
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
In Theaters
Adding to the Alien franchise this week is this new tale from writer/director Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe). Taking place sometime after the beginning of Aliens (our only clue is a destroyed Nostromo spacecraft and a mentioning of their being one survivor), the story begins with a young girl and her synthetic bother (Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson) as they find out that are stuck on their sunless mining planet while dreaming of traveling to a far-off location for a fresh start. When a friend in need of a synthetic gives her the opportunity to maybe make this happen, she agrees to a quick salvage trip to the Romulus, a giant ship that has been seemingly abandoned near their planet. But while there, they encounter our favorite xenomorphs who trap and hunt them. Although it seems that most of the films in this franchise are mediocre to bad, the first two films are so good that most fans hold out a lot of hope for the next one. While this one can’t hold a candle to Alien and Aliens, it manages to be both horrifying and entertaining, providing thrills and scares that are both expected and delivered. The narrative is strong enough to be effective, providing good back story with Weyland and a rationale for taking the risks these young men and women are willing to take. Production is also top notch with terrific creature effects, both CGI and practical. Where the film suffers a bit is in its character. The characters from 1 and 2 (and even 3) are vibrant and interesting. Here there is a group of frustrated kids who want a better life, but aside from the main two, there is nothing compelling going on there. That being said, I especially loved David Jonsson as the synthetic. He is a well-written character, and the performance capitalizes on this. The good news is that I wasn’t expecting great, but I was hoping for good, and I got it. I’ve always loved the claustrophobic horror that Alien provides, and this one uses that to its advantage big time. Once you get off the mining planet, the movie is a fast-paced nail-biter that jumps right into the fray and even has an unexpected and thrilling third act that will have audiences freaked out and spoiling it for their friends. So, with that in mind, see it early so that you’re not the friend who gets that ruined for you. B
Jackpot!
Rated R for pervasive language, violence and sexual references
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42%
Streaming on Amazon Prime
It is the near future (2030) and California has instituted a Grand Lottery where you can win a lot of money, but if you do, anyone can kill you for your winnings for 24 hours. Here, Awkwafina has just moved to Hollywood to try to kickstart an acting career when she inadvertently wins the lottery, triggering violent mobs to start chasing her down. Setting out to help her survive is John Cena who wants a mere 10% to help keep her alive. Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy) the film has a high pedigree and a big cast. So why is it going straight to streaming? I would blame the awful premise. While it creates a space for lots of action, it is difficult to get past the basics of the story. That being said, they really go for it hard without flinching. While the action is certainly there in spades, the one thing missing is comedy. There were a couple of giggles, but no real laughs, not that there was really any attempt at comedy made. I’m not even sure if comedy was any part of the goal here. C