A Step Up In The Prequel Game... "Alien: Covenant"

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Rated R

Starring Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Carmen Ejogo,

Directed by Ridley Scott

The Story:

It's been over a decade since the Prometheus mission failed miserably. Now, as the colony ship Covenant is heading towards its destination, a strange SOS lures it to a habitable planet. Ah, but what the crew doesn't realize is that the android David (Fassbender) has been up to all sorts of shenanigans in the meantime.

So basically Covenant goes all in with what Prometheus only teased audiences with: the Aliens.

If you're going to be the prequel for one of the greatest science fiction movie of all time, you have to eventually show us the little face-huggers.

Prometheus hinted at it, but mostly beat around the bushes about what story they were trying to tell.

Now, we're putting it straight into the title, and finding out that androids are directly responsible for the misery inflicted by these evil critters.

Fassbender gets to play dual roles as androids who are both good and evil, as one by one, the crew of the Covenant fall prey to David's dreams of godhood.

Still, it's enjoyable as the series comes ever closer to going full circle, and Scott apparently has plans for a few more of these.

Much like the Terminator series, anything after the first 2 has never lived up to the originals, but at least they're trying to create an overall narrative and salvage what they can go forward.

Final Grade: C+

They Are At It Again..."The Purge: Anarchy"

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Rated R

Starring Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Zoe Soul,

Written and Directed by James DeMonaco

The Story:

The annual Purge is upon us. That one night of the year where all crime is permissible, even murder!

Well, as I promised after watching the first installment, I would be back for the sequel.

To be honest, I found this one much better than the first installment.

I actually enjoyed the first movie, my main complaint was the majority of the film being too dark and shadowy for a suspense thriller.

DeMonaco rectifies all of that, and then some this go round.

Instead of a family, we get three separate stories that all converge together and bring some people together, out on the streets, after the Purge has begun.

Grillo is a great choice and has the chops and charisma to be a solid leading man in these budget thrillers.

Gone is the claustrophobic darkness from the first one, and it's opened up into the streets and buildings around town as this group attempts to survive the night.

I hate to say I enjoyed it, but I did.

If DeMonaco keeps this up, I'll be back for a third installment!

Final Grade: B/B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: While I said once was enough for the first installment, I could actually watch this one again with little problem.

Through the Family Tears Comes a "Sparkle"

The throwdown in Motown...

The Story:

Three sisters, Sister (Carmen Ejogo), Dolores (Tika Sumpter) and Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) form a singing group in the 1960s, against their mother''s (Whitney Houston) wishes.  As their fame grows, so does a troubling relationship between Sister and her husband, Satin (Mike Epps).  It will all play out, and forever shatter the trio.  The trick becomes if they can pick up the pieces and move forward.

First, I had no idea that this movie was a remake, but apparently this movie was already made in 1976.  Don't worry, I will not compare the two, nor follow-up tomorrow with a review on the original.

You're welcome. : )

Second, I really had no desire to see this film at all.

The reason why, will likely seem two-faced on my part, as I've lobbied many times that Mel Gibson the actor is different than Mel Gibson the guy who had an alcohol incident that forever tarnished his image in the eyes of many fans.

Yet here comes my Whitney Houston confession.

I love(d) Whitney Houston.  Growing up in the 80s and listening to the radio, how could you not? For 80s Pop Music Haters, yeah, I get it... don't argue the point.

Now?  When she starts singing on my radio station, I often find that I'm clicking to another station.

The girl had a gift...she was blessed with the voice of an angel... and she threw it away.  Blame who you want, for years I assumed it was the influence of Bobby Brown, but at the end of the day, it began and ended with Whitney Houston.

And here is her last role... and some of the motherly advice she gives is ironic and heartbreaking in what she tells her daughters onscreen compared to how she lived..and died.. off.

As always, she did a fine job.  In fact, the entire cast is really rather good at what they do.  When they sing?  Forget it, they are all just about amazing.

I'd also really like to point out that Mike Epps is hilarious...always has been, likely always will be.  That they gave him an edge and made him both likeable and evil at the same time, nice range on his part.

Overall, for a movie I had no hurry to see, I'm glad I caught it.  It wasn't awful, and it allows me some closure to the Whitney Houston saga.  I still love her in The Bodyguard, and I will always have fond memories listening to her music in the 80s...  Now with her final screen performance and her last CD (Christmas music) that underwhelmed, I can think of her being at the top of her game when she sang the Star Spangled Banner.  Everything since...not so much.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Gonna go with a no to both, but again, nice job for Sparks and Ejogo on propping the film on their backs and running with it.