Coming to theatres, Jan 26
The sequel to Alienoid is coming to North America, and I don’t think what’s presented will end here. In Alienoid 2: Return to the Future (외계+인 2부), what’s produced feels like an MCU film directed by Michael Bay. Thankfully, those moments are limited to the CGI heavy moments rather than the story at hand.
To expose the aliens masquerading around as humans is tough, no matter what the century, but to make sure they don’t get their hands on the Divine Blade makes for an amusing watch. In order to figure out who is working for whom, it’s best to pay attention.
Honestly, I had to revisit the first film (review can be read here) just to remind myself about what’s important. That way, I wouldn’t feel as lost. Ultimately, the story is really about how Lee Ahn (or Ean) (Kim Tae-ri) will save Korea from an alien threat which pretty much exist throughout much of this country’s history. Her quest to locate this weapon and keep it away from the wrong hands defines this work.
And along the way, she’s not sure if she can fully trust the friends she has made. When they include those who kept her safe when she was young, namely Guard and Thunder (voiced by Kim Woo-bin)–where one of these two robots need repair–life is not easy. And now there’s Heug-seol (Yum Jung-ah) and Cheong-woon (Jo Woo-jin), two magic users who spend their screen time offering up comedic relief. As a result, it’s easy to lose interest with maybe a character or two.
At this rate, I’ll need cliff notes to keep track of everything! When characters like Right Paw (Shin Jung-geun) and Left Paw (Lee Si-hoon) get factored into the narrative it’s easy to lose track! (more on them later)
What everyone needs to know about Alienoid 2 is that whoever possesses the crystal blade will control all the time and space. Ahn now has the dagger, and hopefully she can stop the alien threat from taking over most of Seoul, Korea. In the present day, the Controller’s strange symbiote reach has affected dozens of people. And when Mureuk (Ryu Jun-Yeol) thinks he’s absorbed some of that, he fears for not only his companion’s safety but also his own!
The stakes have changed little. It’s gotten much worse in the sequel. And what’s important here is to see how these characters are dealing with not only the threat within, but also with not going berserk! And when this big bad guy can jump from one host body to another, he can cause trouble!
Ultimately, part two feels incomplete. I’m somewhat confused with the finale because it doesn’t tidy up what’s presented so far. The energy rift is still there, and what that sets up is the next chapter of this grand story. At this rate, I’m going to have to keep a crib sheet around so I’ll remember key points in this latest so that by the time part three is made and released, I won’t be as forgetful.
What’s presented in Alienoid 2 is very entertaining in a soap opera kind of way and as epic as V: the Series. When there are at least six heroes (and two cats who don’t get enough screen time because of how they help) helping to preserve the peace, it’s easy to lose focus, and that’s the only downside to keeping track of the craziness that’s going on in this film.
4 Stars out of 5
Alienoid 2: Return to the Future Trailer
