ALIENOID (2022)

ALIENOID (2022)

Tagline: None. 

(Sci-Fi, Adventure, Fighting Cats) [PG-13]

Note: In the US, this movie was not released in theaters and so it did not get an MPAA rating. It likely would have landed a [PG-13], possibly even a [PG].

Hang on, let's talk more later, one thing I've got is time. 

In this one, we find out that biomechanical aliens have been storing violent mutant prisoners here on earth for centuries. They are stored in the minds of people and sometimes the person realizes they have an alien inside them. When this happens it allows for a possible escape attempt on the part of the alien prisoner. Guard is an alien enforcer determined to make sure that any escaped prisoners are recaptured. Guard has the ability to travel in time. At one point during the Goryeo Dynasty, his assistant Thunder decides to bring a child named Ean from that time to 2022. It doesn’t take long before Ean realizes that she has been raised by two aliens. Can Guard keep the prisoners contained, or will the fate of the earth be sealed by extremely powerful mind-dwelling creatures from beyond the stars?

First off, that intro hardly scratches the surface of what is really going on in this thing. I mean, we got all kinds of crazy CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON fight scenes with sorcerers and magic from the past combined with robot alien fights and tentacle brain-stealing aliens that the human race is no match for. We’ve got cats coming out of a decorative fan that will fight you and also happen to be able to morph into human bodies, I mean this thing is freaking nuts. It’s gloriously imaginative and for the most part, has some dazzling special effects. 

A couple of years ago I really enjoyed IRON MASK and one thing about that movie that made it crazy fun was the fact that you had this outstanding and ridiculously creative world-building that had a serious tone, but managed to be whimsical as well. ALIENOID has the same thing going for it. There is a good deal of humor in this no matter how you watch it. They do have a dubbed version in English on the DVD. English dubs almost always sound more light-hearted because of the voice actors for some reason always seem to read things that way when it comes to adventure and sci-fi. However, if you watch this straight up, it comes across just as whimsical. This touch wasn’t necessary for me, but it does add personality which only makes this thing even better. 

Probably the best news about ALIENOID is that Part II was already filmed and should be out next year. This thing is over 2 hours and it feels like an epic. The score is outstanding and the cinematography in both the future and past sequences is incredible. The characters are likable and I even found myself rooting for Guard who has the shallowest personality of anyone in the movie. Not because he is all good though, the dude has massive issues. Thunder on the other hand is definitely in the film for emotional grounding and some comic relief. Having said that, the characters Right Paw and Left Paw do that as well so they end up being some of my favorites.

Acting wise the main character is Lee Ahn played by Kim Tae-ri. She is fantastic in this and is probably best known for 2021’s SPACE SWEEPERS. Kim Woo-bin plays Guard in this and actually has a LOT to do in this movie since Thunder also mimics him and has a completely different personality. I am not familiar with any of Kim Woo-bin’s other work. Ryu Jun-Yeol takes a fun role as Mureuk and just kills it. Like Kim Woo-bin, I haven’t seen any of his other films. Other stands outs include So Ji-seob as Moon Do-seok and Lee Hanee in a bit of a fun and flirty role as Kae-in, Min. 

Before you watch this, you will want to have some patience. It takes a while for the two worlds to come together and for the story to flesh out the explanation for why they are connected. Because this is Part I of II though, we don’t get answers for everything. 

The scale of this thing is off the charts and there are some freakin rad concepts in this that I have never seen before including one of the craziest “mirror” related scenes I have ever seen. 

I liked this one even better the second time around. For me, it’s a 7 out of 7.
 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF CAPER FILM AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.