by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Alien Country by Boston McConnaughey.
Synopsis
A swarm of alien creatures has invaded the small town of “Blue River.” Now Jimmy, and his pregnant girlfriend, Everly must work together to stop the monsters, or the planet and their relationship is doomed.
The Good
Joseph: If you’re looking for sheer entertainment in a science fiction comedy, Alien Country has you covered. It’s easy to root for Everly (Renny Grames, who cowrote the screenplay with director Boston McConnaughey) and her ex-ish-boyfriend Jimmy (K.C. Clyde), thanks to the likable performances of the two leads. The large group of supporting players including Charan Praghakar as friendly alien Ben, Carla Bocchiocchio as a villainous villainess, and Barta Heiner as an unlikely researcher of extraterrestrials all add to the amiable wackiness. McConnaughey keeps the proceedings rolling at a nice clip.
Mike: When the press release for Alien Country came across our desk Joseph asked if I’d be interested. “Sure! It's not often we get a movie with a demolition derby driver as the protagonist!” was my response and while there’s a lot more to this than just a demolition derby driver, sometimes that is enough. Jimmy (K.C. Clyde), the derby driver, is a sad sack of a dude who makes a totally likable and an easy to root for hero. Along with his motley crew of girlfriend, brother, sister-in-law, an alien named Ben and others, Jimmy has to defend his town against some ever evolving alien creatures who are on a killing spree.
The dialogue is quick and smart with plenty of humor and everyone inhabits their roles quite well.
The Bad
Joseph: Following the expected tropes of alien invasion films both serious and comical, Alien Country doesn’t serve up any huge surprises, so seasoned viewers should correctly suspect what is likely to happen next throughout. The bigger the aliens get, the less impressive their CGI renderings become.
Mike: There’s not much about Alien Country to dislike. Yeah, McConnaughey doesn’t bring much new to the table as the story covers many beats that will be familiar to viewers, but that’s really about it. And truthfully, that’s not much to complain about.
The Verdict
Joseph: Infectious with charm, hutzpah, and verve, Alien Country is a feel-good sci-fi comedy romp that simply wants to amuse you. Give into its fun vibe and you should find it well worth a watch.
Mike: If you’re looking for a fun science fiction romp, Alien Country delivers in spades. Fun characters and an engaging story overshadow any shortcomings that viewers may find with the familiar beats that guide the plot of the film, but it’s also that familiarity that makes the film so easy to sit through.
Alien Country
Directed By: Boston McConnaughey
Written By: Renny Grames, Boston McConnaughey
Starring: Rachele Brooke Smith, Corbin Allred, Alireza Mirmontazeri
Run Time: 1h 37m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2024
Comments
Post a Comment
Share your thoughts with us