JP Nunez
If you’re a fan of bizarre mashups of fantasy, sci-fi, action, and comedy, you need to know about the Alienoid duology. The first film, Alienoid, is an absurdly fun time-jumping adventure that blends all four genres in just about the best way possible, but it doesn’t stand alone. It ends on a cliffhanger that cries out for a sequel, so when I got the chance to review Alienoid: Return to the Future, I jumped on it right away. I couldn’t wait to learn how this movie would close the story out, and after finally getting the chance to see it, I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint.
Alienoid: Return to the Future was written and directed by Choi Dong-hoon, and it stars Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin, Lee Hanee, Yum Jung-ah, and Jo Woo-jin. Unsurprisingly, the film picks up right where the original Alienoid left off. It follows a young woman named Ean who finally has an alien artifact called the Divine Blade, and now, along with some help from mystical sorcerers and a bit of sci-fi tech, she has to travel back to her own time to stop a group of evil ETs from terraforming the earth and slaughtering the entire human race in the process.
Before we get into my thoughts about Alienoid: Return to the Future, I want to answer a question some of you are probably wondering about: Can you watch this movie if you haven’t seen the original Alienoid? Yes and no. On the one hand, this sequel starts with a brief recap of the first film so you won’t be lost. But on the other hand, if you’re able to watch the original Alienoid first, I highly recommend it.
See, the first movie does an amazing job of introducing you to its characters and making you fall in love with them, but Alienoid: Return to the Future struggles in that respect. Even though it clearly wants to be accessible to newcomers, it very much feels like it’s assuming that you’re already familiar with these characters.
The original Alienoid gives you plenty of time to get to know the characters before the sh*t hits the fan, but in this one, we hit the ground running. In fact, the first 45 minutes or so are basically just mindless action with a bare minimum of character development and narrative progression, so I suspect that this film might be very off-putting if you’re not already invested in these characters and their story.
And to be frank, even if you already love this world, that first chunk of Alienoid: Return to the Future is still a bit of a slog to get through. As I said, it’s just mindless action without any real substance behind it, and it gets old pretty quickly. Sure, it’s fun seeing these characters again, but that can only get you so far.
I wanted the movie to slow down, give these characters time to breathe, and actually move the story forward, and thankfully, at around the 45-minute mark, it finally does. It’s like writer/director Choi Dong-hoon suddenly remembered that he had a story to tell, and once that happens, it’s all smooth sailing from there.
By taking on more narrative purpose, the action stops being visual noise, and the film finally becomes the ridiculously fun joyride the first Alienoid was. Once again, it’s a nearly perfect combination of aliens, sci-fi tech, and good old-fashioned magic, and if that sounds like a good time to you, I can almost guarantee that you’re going to have a blast with this movie.
On top of that, the characters in this part of Alienoid: Return to the Future also really shine. In particular, the four main protagonists–Ean, Muruk, and the two sorcerers–can charm your socks off with the best of them. Almost everything about these heroes, from the writing to the performances to the costumes, is pitch-perfect for this kind of dumb-fun movie, so they’re just an absolute joy to watch.
Along similar lines, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how funny this film is. It manages to weave its comedy and its action together almost seamlessly at times, and when it goes all-out for a laugh, it rarely misses. To take just one example, there’s a scene near the end where some characters from the past travel to the present, and when these fish out of water encounter treadmills for the first time, it’s totally hilarious. Granted, not every gag works that well, but on the whole, this is one of the best weird comedies I’ve seen in a while.
Last but not least, I have to say a few words about the unexpected narrative twists and turns in Alienoid: Return to the Future. The first film ends with a big reveal about the leader of the evil aliens, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This movie takes you on a bit of a rollercoaster ride of surprises, so if you think you know how this story is going to play out, you’re wrong.
Sure, you can probably guess the general gist of where it’s all going, but the devil, as they say, is in the details. And let me tell you, some of those details are huge. My jaw dropped a couple of times during this film, and those shocking twists will almost certainly keep you on your toes too as you follow these characters on their quest to save the world.
So at the end of the day, despite some big flaws, I still had a great time with Alienoid: Return to the Future. Sure, the first 45 minutes or so aren’t great, but at two hours, this movie has more than enough time to make up for its weak opening. And once it really gets going, it turns into one of the most fun cinematic experiences of the year, and it doesn’t take its foot off the gas until the credits begin to roll.
Alienoid: Return to the Future is available on VOD right now, and it’s scheduled to hit Blu-ray and DVD on July 30.
