If there is one thing guaranteed to bring audiences to the movies, it is their decades-long fascination with the unknown. It kept moviegoers flocking to theaters back in the ’50s when sci-fi B-movies like “War of the Worlds” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still” ruled supreme, and it is still the case today as studios continue to release SFX-laden remakes of these classics. Hollywood explores the unknown once again in “Alien Trespass,” an independent film that is spot-on when it comes to capturing the spirit of ’50s sci-fi film, yet off-target in its attempts to entertain.
As the senior executive producer for the hit TV show “The X Files,” director R.W. Goodwin spent nine seasons in the company of extraterrestrial life forms. Therefore, by paying homage to the origins of the genre, it is clear Goodwin has a special place in his heart for science fiction. The only problem: Goodwin is a little too nostalgic. He places so much focus on making the film look the part he forgets the film also needs to keep audiences captivated.
Rookie screenwriters James Swift and Steven P. Fisher also suffer from a case of excessive nostalgia with the film’s screenplay. The dialogue and story are the epitome of cheesy sci-fi B-movies and lack any thrills or exciting plot advancements for audiences to latch on to.
Set in 1957, the film opens up with a brilliant meteor shower that lights up the night sky above California’s Mojave Desert. One of these fiery balls, though, just so happens to be a UFO carrying a metallic alien named Urp and a monstrous Ghota, an angry one-eyed blob reminiscent of B.O.B. from “Monsters vs. Aliens” — but without Seth Rogen’s unmistakable laugh. Upon crash-landing in the mountains, the Ghota escapes, forcing Urp to take over the body of noted astronomer Ted Lewis (Eric McCormack, TV’s “Will & Grace”) so he can prevent Ghota’s unquenchable appetite from ending civilization.
If this storyline seems utterly bizarre to you, that’s because it is. Yet plots like this one were the trademark of ’50s sci-fi flicks. While films like last December’s remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” strive to “reimagine” the classics by rationalizing absurdity with modern-day logic, this film takes the quirkiness on with pride by sticking with campy visual effects and corny, stereotypical characters.
The only difference is this film brings a little something new to the table — color. There is just something about this genre that makes it ripe for color, and Goodwin fully realizes this through the use of a rich palette of warm colors that truly liven up the screen in a way the black-and-white movies of the ’50s never could. At the same time, the film still has an authentic feel to it — it’s not too digitally enhanced.
But the film still fails when it comes to providing the kind of thrills and excitement you would expect from a sci-fi flick. Hence, the film relies for the most part on comedy to keep the audience in their seats. While the movie’s content in itself is not all that hilarious, the humor comes from how absolutely absurd films during this time period were and how well this film has captured that campiness.
Although the film’s ensemble cast features mostly second-rate actors, the acting in the film is surprisingly noteworthy. McCormack is believable enough as a bookish astronomer, but he is at his best when Urp takes over his body and he becomes an oblivious, discomfited outsider. Jenni Baird (TV’s “The 4400”) and Robert Patrick (“Strange Wilderness”) also shine in their formulaic roles of female honey and skeptical police officer, respectively. Baird does have the tendency to overact at times, but this actually ends up working in her favor, since ’50s sci-fi movies were all about hamming it up.
All in all, “Alien Trespass” has a little bit of something for everyone. For the fans of ’50s sci-fi flicks, it is a pleasurable nostalgic trip. For those unfamiliar with these classics, the film’s campiness is guaranteed to provide some humor. Unfortunately, it is what the film does not have a lot of that causes its downfall. You can only relish in the nostalgia of the film or make fun of it for so long before the movie loses its limited entertainment value and, consequently, the audience’s interest.
2 1/2 stars out of 5.
