Aliens and artificial intelligence are on the menu this week. To our first offering, and AfrAId has a title as dodgy as the end product, unfortunately. I would like to commend whoeever put the trailer together, though, as it actually made it look enticing.
The plot centres around a couple trying out a super advanced AI device in their home, called AIA. Spy cameras are put up everywhere, privacy is quickly sacrificed, and the film raises important questions about how much we are letting technology take over.
That's where my praise ends, sadly. AIA quickly assumes far more power than anticipated, paying bills, reading to the kids, and running the household. Even when unplugged, it's still there. John Cho and Katherine Waterston give it their best shot, but for a supposed horror, it wasn't scary. Think of it more as a hidden camera psychological thriller, but it's about as frightening as an episode of ou've Been Framed hosted by the late Jeremy Beadle. In fact, the Beadle's About episode where the lady offered an 'alien' in her back garden a cup of tea was more chilling.
Mercifully short at 84 minutes, it feels it will date more quickly than my wardrobe. I wanted to enjoy it, but it felt like it could have been written in 0.07 seconds by an AI device. Clunky screenplay, bad editing, and an interesting idea squandered.
I rewatched Terminator this week, and it's a superor film in every way, even 40 years on. Set in 2029, the ahead-of-their-time 1980s effects still look terrific, and Arnie is the bee's knees.
Fast forward from 2029 to 2142, when Alien : Romulus is set. Even if you're new to the 'Alien universe', this can be enjoyed as a standalone film. It's clear fairly early in proceedings that our young space explorers have company on board an abandoned space station they are exploring, and it's not the sort of company that will offer you a cuppa. Worse than watching a Nadine Dorries bushtucker trial, the terrifying creatures jump from the water and wrap themselves around several of our unfortunate space cadets. Cue loads of running, screaming, and shooting (the gun towards the end seems to have endless ammunition when down to 20%!). It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the superb sound alone makes it worth seeing on the big screen. Fits between Alien and Aliens, in case you were wondering, and definitely a worthy addition. Perhaps a weekend watching all of them back-to-back sometime might be fun.
This weekend, it's all about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and I'm planning to rewatch the 1988 original before I go and see this sequel. After a challenging summer for cinemas, hampered by the effects of the Hollywood writers' strike, and a lack of Barbenheimer to put bums on seats, only animations like Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 really saved the day. This is hopefully the shot in the arm that the industry needs as we head into autumn. The juice is loose!
Alex B Cann weekly film column
