Kids vs. Aliens Review from RLJE Films!
I absolutely adored Hobo with a Shotgun. I was excited when it won the trailer contest for Quentin Tarantino’s and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse and was made into a feature film. Nova Scotia, Canada born Jason Eisener had an instant fan in me. I also loved his Christmas short Treevenge and its twisted take on Christmas from a terrified trees point of view.
When my buddy Chris creator/editor of Severed Cinema told me about Kids vs. Aliens I was automatically invested in it from the start. Being a fan of Eisener and the great retro look of the film plus a Goonies-esque ‘80s feel you couldn’t go wrong right?
Wrong, this goes to show that a trailer, pumping synth music and energy doesn’t always result in an enjoyable experience. Kids vs. Aliens has the look and feel but its a mess. There are unlikable characters, brutal pacing issues, painful overacting, lack of effect, and goofy looking people wearing cheap looking alien costumes.
The film is obviously not meant to be taken seriously but at least make it fun. This doesn’t feel fun, it feels like a chore to sit down and endure it. I found myself drifting off during its runtime which is never a good sign. Chalk it up to Sophomore blues as Eisener usually makes energy fueled madness that is off the rails yet entertaining.
I found myself in the same situation with RKSS’s Summer of 84. Turbo Kid (see review here) was and still is one of my favorite indie films and when RKSS released Summer of 84 I was thrilled. It had that retro vibe, a fine cast of kids but it was a flop. It retained no charm; it was dull and forgettable (except to use as a perfect example here). Hobo with a Shotgun is not a milestone in filmmaking but it’s an over-the-top good time and once again I was hoping to get that same energy with Kids vs. Aliens.
Filmed entirely in Nova Scotia (and supposedly in Boston Bruins’ player Brad Marchand’s barn which is super cool but it just doesn’t work), it’s muddled and focusses more on kids and their sisters dull relationships than aliens. There is also a lack of cool alien effects. The aliens themselves look awkward and funny, similar to Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste (maybe that was the intention), actors waddling around in foam suits. The gore is restrained to a couple scenes. The foul language however is not as the kids drop the F-bomb throughout.
Kids Vs. Aliens occurs around Halloween and focusses on Gary played by Dominic Mariache (Are You Afraid of The Dark) and his sister Samantha played by Phoebe Rex (The Last Divide), along with Gary’s friends Jack played by Asher Grayson (The Dogs), and Miles played by Ben Tector. Gary and friends are known for setting up elaborate film shoots and recreating chaotic battle scenes with his friends and sister. One day that all changes when Billy played by Calem Macdonald (Night Blooms) shows up with his friends. Samantha is instantly captivated by his bad boy charm, neck tattoo and good looks. Gary is pissed by this as Sam was a major part of his movie and his group plus Billy is a royal douchebag.
Sam ditches her brother and friends for Billy, and she is persuaded to throw a Halloween party at her house while her parents are away. Her parents are your typical too busy for their own kids type individuals. The dad is played by none other than Jonathan Torrens (Street Cents, Trailer Park Boys) who also had a role in Eisener’s short Treevenge.
The aliens take a backseat for a good 30 minutes popping up here and there in the intro briefly terrorizing some fishermen. When they do crash the Halloween party, I could sense the lack of energy and my already diminished hopes were finally extinguished. Oh Kids vs. Aliens I had such hope for you but alas the end result left me feeling unsatisfied. I’m still a fan of Eisener’s work and if anything, I now want to go brush off my copy of Hobo with a Shotgun and revisit so it ain’t all bad.
Kids vs. Aliens is now in Theaters, On Demand, and Digital.
Directed by: Jason Eisener
Written by: John Davies, Jason Eisener
Produced by: Rob Cotterill, Josh Goldbloom, Jason Levangie, Brad Miska, Marc Tetreault
Cinematography by: Mat Barkley
Editing by: Jason Eisener
Special Effects by: Special Effects Atlantic
Cast: Dominic Mariche, Phoebe Rex, Calem MacDonald, Asher Grayson, Ben Tector, Emma Vickers, Isaiah Fortune, Jonathan Torrens
Year: 2022
Country: Canada
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 15min
Studio: Yer Dead, Shut up & Colour Pictures, Bloody Disgusting, Cinepocalypse Productions, Studio71
Distributor: RLJE Films, Shudder