User reviews

Of course I had never even heard about this 2023 sci-fi movie titled "Alien Planet" prior to stumbling upon it by random chance. Normally, then sci-fi is not my go-to genre of movies, but I do sit down every now and then and watch something sci-fi. And thus, I opted to sit down and watch "Alien Planet".

I can't claim to be harboring much of any great expectations to writer and director Alan Maxson's 2023 movie "Alien Planet" given the fairly low-budget-looking cover/poster for the movie.

The movie actually was watchable. Not a great movie though, but it was adequately watchable, if you don't mind watching low budget sci-fi. The storyline in the movie, as written by Alan Maxson, was pretty straightforward. And the movie looked and felt like it was made with a lot of heart and spirit put into the project.

Needless to say that I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But then again, the performers were so heavily disguised under prosthetics and make-up that they would be unrecognizable.

The special effects in the movie were fair enough. Some of the effects were good, such as the lasers and the make-up and prosthetics. However, the space-cat, Giree, looked horribly fake.

If you are a hardcore sci-fi fan, then you might get much more enjoyment out of "Alien Planet" than I did.

My rating of writer and director Alan Maxson's 2023 movie "Alien Planet" lands on a four out of ten stars.

It wasn't worth it. Was reminded of Saturday morning kid's scripted fantasy tv programs from the 70s. So cheesy.

Replete with smarmy sarcasm and hostile speechifying by the seemingly emotionally immature, laced with lame smack-talk, and even saying it to the unconscious.

It has dialogue with full sentences that consist of, "Ugh, this arm is never gonna heal." and "This damn plant." Also, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

The writing, acting, directing, are all about as bad as in the Extinct (2017) series, which was written and directed by BYU (Mormon) grads. The sophistication level is middle-school, like not totally stupid, but almost hopelessly underdeveloped.

The editing was also biffed up, to where an injury changed sides of the body, and changed back because they flipped footage a few times.

Some of the costuming decisions included Tabi Japanese Split Toe Shoes, or Ninja Jika Tabi Split Toe Boots, because those are totally 'alien.' My, my, my what this says! (Although, they're supposedly good for bunions, so maybe those aliens got Foot probs, not just food and water probs.)

I did sort of love it when the puppet/animatronic-looking Healing-Pet growled out it's master's name, fully articulately. L'il Spewy also snarls "NO" and "O. K.," in a grossly charming way.

Anyway, it had a zero payoff ending after being terribly predictable, too.

OK, always try to say something nice first ... so the makeup was actually pretty good, almost impressive. And that is the only thing positive I can say about this movie. The rest of the special effects (besides makeup) were just a notch above high-schoolish and the script was horrible. As to the acting, well I comment on it when I see anything worth mentioning.

And please, for the rest of you viewers, don't be fooled by the friends and family that wrote those positive reviews that do not even closely resemble the movie. A quick clue to see if a review is real or not, just look to see how many other movie reviews the person has contributed. If this is the only movie they ever reviewed, its a good clue it is garbage.

Don't waste you time watching this, most syfi films from the 80's are better than this drivel the acting is sub standard, the costumes are straight out of the 70's, the acting is very bad from all actors and the set design well don't get me started, so much plywood and old technology with more plywood applied over the top. Lighting is also totally wrong and the story and script writing are laughable but not in a good way. The video editing of this film is badly done, the the cuts and color correction are so bad.

My recommendation is that this film is only worth watching, if you want to see every thing you shouldn't do when making a film.

Don't it ever let i be said that budget can impede creativity. This is a shining example of what you can do when you a vision and the right people motivated behind you. The makeup work in this movie alone merits a high rating, but the story is fun and solid and it moves along at a great pace. A;; of the acting is spot on and above all there is a character in the movie that steals not only any scene he/she/it's in, but it winds up taking the whole movie (mostly) too. I always enjoy seeing what filmmakers can do when budgets are limited, it always makes for things you don't typically get to see in most movies. And lastly, hooray for mostly practical effects!

This movie has a very 1980's feel to it, and is a fun movie to watch. While they were not able to spend millions of dollars on it, they did great with what they had. The story is very engaging and the actors also do a really good job. I would compare it to the movies that came out when I was a teen in the 1980's and this would have been great to see at the movies on a Saturday night with the gang! You can find movies that have spent tons of money on special effects, sets and a high dollar actor or two that aren't as good as this is. Yes this isn't a Hollywood masterpiece, it is still a good effort and is still better than 'La La Land' - now that's a turd of a film! LOL.

Eleven tentacles up! Alien Planet is simply outta this world! Aliens have feelings too, and this movie takes the audience behind the scales and into the heart of these creatures as they face life and death...repeatedly. If you think your cat is special, wait till you meet superhero feline Giree, whose barf is so much more than hairballs and un-chewed kibble. And this film proves that true love can flourish even when creatures are far from traditional perfect 10s; hey, give those beastly types a chance the next time you're swiping on the latest dating app - you might just find The One who'd go to the ends of the earth (and beyond) for you. Maybe you'll also think twice about messing with Mother Nature when you see what Maxson's characters have to endure after eons of war and environmental pillaging. In short, you'll gush...and I don't mean pints of gelatinous blood like the characters onscreen (don't wear white!).

I loved the practical effects! So many movies nowadays lean too heavily on cgi, so this was a refreshing change. It was great how this movie really leaned into the campiness with the excessive fake blood and alien curse words. I mean, alien cat vomit has miraculous healing powers! Alien Planet really has the feel of a Star Trek episode, particularly Voyager or Enterprise. I think my favorite character was either Giree or Lock. I do have a few criticisms, though - some shots lasted twice as long as they really needed to, which is part of why the plot felt like it was dragging its metaphorical feet for a bit there. But the main reason this only has 6 stars is the ending. If the point was to piss the audience off, it was a complete success. The movie ended with a cheap "shocking twist" that left my dad and I deeply dissatisfied. We're still arguing over whether it was a budgeting issue forcing them to change the script at the last minute (which is what I think) or a deliberate attempt to make a statement (what my dad thinks).

Tl;dr super fun and campy; I would've loved to be in the cast or crew of this! The ending sucks tho :/

EDIT: For the record, my dad and I have no connection to the cast/crew. This just came on a queue of the B movies my dad watches while working at home.

I must confess I am pretty critical when it comes to movies and television shows. Having been a part of the industry myself, I generally find myself critiquing and "producing in my head." But not long after I sat down to watch Alien Planet, a viable story line quickly emerged, was well developed and followed throughout the film. The acting was very good, and I found myself relating to the characters on a personal level despite their 'alien' appearance. By the way, the costumes and makeup were really great and totally belied the very small budget I understand the filmmakers had to work with. Sequel???? Kudos to the filmmakers!

I just saw this at the premiere and I was really impressed with how good this looked in spite of the budget. The movie was well shot, the make up is top tier and the effects are great for a film of this budget. Has an old school vibe like Star Trek TOS or Doctor WHO. A real passion project and it shows. The blood and gore were all wonderfully over the top, like a Kung Fu film or old Sam Raimi. At the Q and A after the movie the director revealed they went through 11 gallons of blood! The pacing slows down for a bit in the beginning but once it picked back up this really took off. A perfect Saturday Afternoon flick. 7/10.

Being overwhelmed by CGI in so many films (often not even great CGI) it was so fun to experience a film that returned to old school practical effects, and more importantly, did it in such a great way! They make up, effects, and designs were fantastic and truly made the film enjoyable to watch. It honors the way filmmaking used to be and frankly I think we could use some more of the classic style.

Also, the film included interesting commentary on environmental issues as well as socio-political conflicts and how often times not finding common ground or working together can be lead to the ultimate conflict for all.

So what we have here is yet another solid entry from Alan Maxson, from the so bad it's good (or perhaps just plain bad) Christmas with Cookie series we moved to the incredibly impressive dark comedy Patina. Alan has managed to take the quality of Patina and put that in to a full length feature. The effects on display here are impressive, and gory! The pacing is great, the cast are great, the directing is great. Whilst the story isn't necessarily breaking new ground, it is solid enough. Some moments seem a bit under developed, whilst others exceed expectations. If you are a fan of indie movies and a fan of sci-fi you should check this out.

Few low budget films of this genre deliver as satisfyingly as Alien Planet, from the always enjoyable twisted imagination of veteran horror actor, writer, producer and director Alan Maxson! From the outset the cast were easily seen as being totally committed to this project and the special effects were maximized to optimum effectiveness. This will certainly be added to my list of SciFi film collection. As a longtime fan of Maxson's, it's easy to see his unmistakable mark on this gem, even from behind the camera. The Alan Maxson signature "gore" is delightfully all over this one. Well done to ALL involved!!!

Alien Planet is a work of joy from everyone involved. I, personally, am not a big sci-fi or blood and guts person, but it is done in such a way that is integrated, purposeful, and hysterical. Beside the incredible practical effects, costume, and world building, the movie invites you in and keeps you engaged the entire time.

The cat and his role in the movie is priceless. Hilarious, adorable, and simultaneously somewhat vomit inducing - the cat alone is reason to see this movie.

I would also like to say that the relationship between the characters as well as the acting gets you from the very beginning. Believable, despite the alien world, human, and humorous.

Highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes sci-fi, gore, and all the others who do not!

Alien Planet is a sci-fi adventure, reminiscent of 80s grind-house films. The story follows 2 aliens from different warring races who have to learn to get along to get out of a nasty situation. The story has elements of a classic thriller, and it keeps you engaged throughout.

One of the standout features of Alien Planet is its exceptional practical effects and fight scene choreography. From the awe-inspiring alien creatures to the breathtaking landscapes, every aspect of the extraterrestrial world feels remarkably authentic. The meticulous attention to detail in the practical effects brings a sense of tangibility to the screen, immersing viewers in the rich and imaginative universe. It's refreshing to witness the filmmakers' dedication to creating a visually stunning experience that goes beyond the limitations of computer-generated imagery. Oh yes, and the gore throughout is delightful and campy, which adds to the grindhouse feel.

A very fun sci-fi film with TONS of blood and fighting scenes (If you're into that). The exaggeration of blood had a cool campy effect that reminded me of a comic book. Loved that this film used traditional effects and actually built their sets. For an independent film, I was very impressed by the world they were able to build. Actors gave good performances even with all those prosthetics on. The cat alien puppet really stole the show for me!! Although the cat alien had a few grunts here and there, I really felt the emotions and struggles of this creature. It was oddly endearing and funny at the same time.

Alien Planet is a thoughtful love letter to science fiction. It's no doubt a special fx exercise. The attention to detail is impressive, something that's hard to achieve at this budget level. But it is more than that. It is really an examination of human behavior. The best sci fi projects are those that serve as vehicles for such issues. The "Alien Planet" is "Planet Earth", allegorically. This is the type of movie sci fi fans want, but usually don't get from the studio system. Every actor is in make-up. There is puppetry, gore, cool costumes. Alan Maxson is a kid in the sandbox here! Love it!

I went into this movie with the promise of seeing practical effects and lost of blood, and this movie delivers. Most of it takes place in one room (which serves to help in its case) as it is a character piece between the two aliens Lock and Brocheet. The reluctant acceptance to work together between two warring factions as prisoners to a monstrous beast gives them both reason to put aside racial differences and find a way out. If you are a big fan of practical effects and little visual effects like I am you are going to enjoy this movie, even if only for the visuals. I think this movie as a concept is one that I would love to see more of, with or without returning characters.

This film is a throwback to old school Sci-Fi. It's got some great Star Trek Elements too.

All of the makeup prosthetics and practical effects were top notch.

The actors all turn in solid performances as well. The performance are both big and nuanced in the right way.

This film also moves at brisk pace and does not overstay it's welcome. And the story does not take any cliche turns. The action and gore here are very fun.

The low budget vibe of this film is also used to it's advantage, the movie has a great throwback almost grind house type feel.

Alan Maxson has really made a indie Sci-Fi Gem here. It's very inspiring to see something of this quality done on a low budget!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I smiled from ear to ear, beginning to end.

So many fun gore effects, awesome creatures, and crazy amounts of blood. You know what you're in for right away and it never lets up. You can tell that the cast and crew had a great time making Alien Planet. I remember seeing movies like this when I was younger and feeling like I was breaking the rules somehow.

The whole film is well-crafted, from the expertly-realized make-ups and camerawork, to the seamless editing and delightful score. This is a crew that knows what they're doing and knows what its audience is looking for.

I'm so glad to know that people still make movies like this. I enjoyed every second of it.

Alan Maxson's Alien Planet has to be the best independent science fiction movie I have ever seen. Everything about the film is insane. The aliens look like actual alien species. The attention to detail is crazy good. I mean the costumed creatures have blinking eyes. The sound and story line are great. I didn't see any editing issues. Alan and Todd are the kings of creature SFX. Alien Planet's use of miniatures, puppets, special effects, and practical effects is real movie magic. Amazon Prime Video, Sci-Fi, or Netflix need to pick this up ASAP. In the meantime, get your copy now at alienplanetfilm com.

If you're a fan of classic science fiction, then this is the movie for you. Talented actors on screen with giant monsters and puppeteered tentacles; and endless gallons of fake blood to wash it all down. What more could you ask for in an action packed space adventure?

It just looks better when it's real. Ever since I saw Star Wars for the first time I've been in love with practical effects, and Alien Planet knows just how to scratch that itch.

Passion and creativity ooze out of this film like a few gallons of fake blood pumped through a slashed alien throat, and I can't wait to see what this team comes up with next.