ALIENOID REVIEW — Squeedar

Kim Woo Bin plays an alien. ‘Nuff said. Review done. Proceed to your nearest theater.

Alien alert! Kim Woo Bin is both Guard and Thundar

Kidding aside, this is the movie that I believe all fans of Kim Woo Bin have been expecting ever since his breakout role in the korean drama series, “Heirs” (or “Inheritors” as it is known on Netflix). Woo Bin is known for his model looks armed with his sharp charisma and spine-tingling way he can switch between carefree joy to cold-blooded heart stopper. In Alienoid, he brings both of those to screen as he plays two different alien types in this time-traveling science-fiction mystery.

Synopsis:

“In the year 2022, Guard (KIM Woo-bin) and Thunder live on Earth, managing alien prisoners who have been locked up in humans’ brains. One day, a spacecraft appears in the sky over Seoul, and the police detective Moon (SO Ji-sub, “Moon”) witnesses a strange sight…
Meanwhile 630 years earlier during the Goryeo Dynasty, the hapless dosa (Korean tao magician) Muruk (RYU Jun-yeol) and Ean (KIM Tae-ri), the so-called “The Girl Who Shoots Thunder”, each scramble to outwit each other in pursuit of the mystical Divine Blade, for which a huge reward is being offered. Two sorcerers in search of the Divine Blade’s secrets, Madam Black (YUM Jung-ah) and Mr. Blue (JO Woo-jin), as well as the masked Jajang (KIM Eui-sung), also set out on a desperate scramble to obtain the Blade. Meanwhile, a spacecraft emerges from a deep river, emitting light…
Those who pursue alien prisoners locked in human bodies in the year 2022, and the sorcerers who pursue the legendary Divine Blade in the year 1391… When the door of time opens, everything becomes entangled!”

Alienoid is the first part of two movies. It is directed by Choi Dong-hoon. Dong-hoon has directed The Big Swindle (2004), Woochi (2009), and Assasination (2015). Alienoid is his return to movies after a seven years.

For science fiction fans, there isn’t a new or innovative science fiction element in the movie. We see familiar mechanics such as a vehicle that can travel through portals, time travel through portals, foreign mystery blobs that can cause devastation to Earth’s atmosphere, aliens morphing into humans, and cyborgs. What makes this super fun is that it’s set mainly in Korea for once! It’s not a sci-fi movie where the country is being used as just a setting merely to be destroyed. The country is essential to the plot because it switches between Goryeo Dynasty and modern era thanks to those time-travel through portals aspects.

The movie begins in Goryeo Dynasty as we are swooped right into it with a heated battle. Guard (Woo-Bin) is on the hunt and has found the alien prisoner. We later learn that aliens have been using humans as biological prisons for their prisoners. All without the humans knowledge or permission. An bit of info that becomes an issue later on. Holding on to information and details which will be revealed later on in the movie is a constant thing during the movie. Just like a Marvel movie, keep your eyes open.

Guard extracts the alien prisoner from the human prison in the Goryeo Dynasty. Then Guard andand his sidekick, Thunder, transport themselves forward to 2022. Only Thunder brought along another passenger, a human baby. This human baby becomes the ultimate bridge between the time periods in the movie. None of it seems to make sense, there is so much going on with the epic cinematic battles and slap-stick comedy, that the viewer doesn’t really dwell too long on it. It’s too much fun to get swept along in a movie where tao magic is used to enlarge items through a mirror (it’ll make a whole lot of sense later in the movie).

During the movie, we are introduced to another main player, Murak. He’s a “great” dosa (Korean Tao magician) as he makes his hustle through villages touting his great power. It’s unsure of how great his power is, but he does have the ability to summon cats out of his magic fan. Oh yes, there are a pair of cat shapeshifters/ henchmen called Left Paw and Right Paw and that about cinches the absurdity and cuteness of this movie. What started off as a simple mission becomes a race of survival as the trio comes face to face with an alien. So begins the fist of many magic versus science battles throughout the movie.

JO Woo-jin as Mr. Blue. For fans of **GOBLIN,** it’s so great to see him again!

The special effects and time hopping elements does not mask the occasional sweetness of love between the characters. Spliced between the explosions and magic, there is love between families, partners, and lovers. Trust and boundaries are quickly tested as the characters avoid being poisoned, dashed to bits by aliens, or traversing through time. At times, it really is a sweet and heartwarming story to follow along.

Alienoid is essentially a delightful cinematic romp through multiple dramas where you can be entertained by the fight choreography, wonder about the mystery, and marvel at the magic. Plus, cats. Shape-shifting cats out of a fan!

Catch this Alienoid in theaters now!

YUM Jung-ah as Madam Black with JO Woo-jin as Mr. Blue

“In response to the question, ‘What film would you make if you were 30 years old,’ my answer was, ‘A story about aliens, which I have loved ever since I was a child.’ After spending a year writing various versions of the screenplay, the film ALIENOID came to me as if emerging out of the mist.” - Choi Dong-hoon (Director)

Check out the official website HERE.