Search - Alien From L.A. on DVD

Boring

Bud Bundy | MN USA | 05/13/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I remembered seeing this on Mystery Science Theater 3000 a long time ago, so I thought it might be interesting to get the original movie and see how it stands up.

It doesn't.

We start with Kathy hanging out on Malibu Beach (wearing a big oversized T-shirt), getting dumped by her boyfriend. Then she gets a letter informing her that her father (who she hasn't seen in 10 years) has been killed. He was an archaeologist working in Africa. He had a theory that Atlantis was a giant spaceship that sunk to the center of the Earth after a volcanic eruption. So, Kathy goes to Africa and ends up falling down the same bottomless pit her father fell into. (It's about 30 feet deep, all the way to the center of the Earth!). Anyhow, she finds Atlantis and the government puts a price on her head - they don't like "aliens" from the surface. So various people chase her around while a couple of guys she meets defend her.

Overall, this movie is just silly and boring. Imagine "Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone", except instead of being done for a teen audience it's done for an audience of nine year old kids. You can't take any of the action the least bit seriously because it's all done in such a silly way. Really, this would make a great double-bill with "The Goonies". What the heck is the point in hiring a supermodel to star in a film for little kids?

Overall, very disappointing. If you wanna see Kathy, but one of her exercise videos instead. They're much sexier than this silly thing."

This movie goes waaay down under!

Amaranth | Northern California | 02/29/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

""Alien from LA" is one of Kathy Ireland's few cinematic ventures;this clearly shows why. Ireland stars as a geeky,squeaky-voiced teenager named Wanda whose boyfriend thinks she's "boring." She decides to join her father in Africa,where's he literally boring into the earth to find the subterranean spaceship of Atlantis. Wanda,like Alice,falls down the hole... but there's no Jefferson Airplane to sing "ask Alice." Unfortunately.

Wanda ends up in a place that looks like bargain basement Blade Runner,a dictatorial dystopia where everyone sounds like Australians. Could she be getting help from Mad Max,or battling it out with Tina Turner in the Thunderdome? Sadly,no. She hangs out in a lot of dive bars,befriends some miners,and it's pretty boring. Even the chases are BORING. It's one of those "when will this movie end?" movies.

Along the way,Wanda is transformed,so "Alien from LA" is a "My Fair Lady" of sorts without the great songs. In the end, Wanda escapes to land,she's hot,and her boyfriend is suddenly smitten with her. Her squeaky voice is gone. The audience is relieved.

On its own,"Alien from LA" exemplifies the cheesy AND the boring. Do yourself a favor and get the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version instead. The Satellite of Love knows how to handle a supermodel&an awful sci fi film!"

So it's corny... SO WHAT!?

emzbox | 12/12/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"So I know it's got really bad acting and big glasses, but I love this movie. It's one of those films you can put on and laugh at, but still be intrigued with where the writer and director were trying to go with it. Sure, they could remake it and have all the special effects and crap, but the idea is a good one and it's fun."

Tinseltown was no comparison to the underground.

The Whatever Dude | houston, tx United States | 12/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Alien from L.A. stars Kathy Ireland (National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1) as waitress/social misfit Wanda. She is dumped by her boyfriend Robbie, played by Don Michael Paul (Robot Wars), because she has no sense of adventure. She easily gets car sick and has a fear of flying. Just to debunk him, Wanda heads out to Africa to find her explorer father. Before long, she finds herself in a bizarre underground world where she meets a variety of characters, including Gus (William R. Moses), Charmin' (Thom Matthews, The Return of the Living Dead), Shank (Janet Du Plessis, who also plays General Rykov), and Mambino, the boss of bosses (Deep Roy, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)

While this movie will not be receiving any Oscars, or even an MTV Movie Award, it still manages to be quite enjoyable. This was also shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000, and while I will eventually check out that version, since I am a fan of that show, this movie is still worth watching on its own, thanks to a groovy soundtrack, and of course, Kathy Ireland.

Recommended.

DVD EXTRAS: Just the trailer for the film and a full frame presentation."