Phil the Alien

I've just watched Suck, also by Rob Stefaniuk, and loved it tremendously, so I had to also see Phil the Alien. While it is not so good as Suck, this movie is funnier, with the same weird feel to it that made me like both films.

The plot is really irrelevant, even if it is truly original and full of good humour. The acting is good with some actors, rather bland with others, but the overall quality is good. We see some common Stefaniuk themes like the hopeless rock band or Nicole de Boer, who has an important role in this film.

Bottom line: a funny comedy for a change, full of Canadians and with a brilliant script. It is not a masterpiece, but it is better than most films I've seen. Way to go, Rob!

Great 420 fare. One of the better low budget movies I've seen. They're not TRYING to make some cinematic tour-DE-force...oh you too serious detractors in comments above. It's supposed to be cheesy and silly. They're just goofing off and it totally works for a fun movie. The performances are good, purposefully cliché, and I actually think it's shot beautifully. Some of the landscape shots are especially gorgeous. I say check it out. Cause crap like Memoirs of a Geisha and King Kong suck. At least this movie will entertain you.

wow ten lines. what is this, school? okay, hmmmm. i also recommend these films that are funny: uncle buck, orange county, rushmore and kindergarten cop.

The best of Canadian cinema offers a uniquely demented vision of the world - think the films of David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan. The worst of Canadian cinema usually stars Matthew Ferguson or Lothaire Bluteau. There is no doubt that Rob Stefaniuk's wonderfully original and hugely entertaining Phil the Alien well and truly belongs in the former category.

Phil the Alien is a film that could have gone incredibly wrong. It takes a truck load of gumption and panache to pull off a movie about a shape-changing alien who crash lands on earth, becomes an alcoholic and joins a Christian rock band. Not to mention a film that includes a subplot about a talking beaver, colour coded alien assassins and a child/whore love story. Somehow the film works and manages to be not only hilarious but also surprisingly insightful and sweet natured.

I'm not sure why Will Ferrell is allowed to ruin every comedy produced in North America by his sheer presence, while Rob Stefaniuk remains in relative obscurity. This guy makes Jim Carrey look about as funny as Tom Arnold, and unlike the majority of his colleagues in the comedy world, he can actually act. The supporting cast are all great and the film really profits from their consistently strong performances.

Phil the Alien is the kind of movie you will either love or hate. I obviously loved just about everything about it, from the cool puppetry (Rob Stefaniuk, take another bow) to the old school special effects and even the band's crappy music. I kept expecting the joke to wear thin but it never did. Phil the Alien is unlike any of the dire comedies that have been excreted from the bowels of Hollywood in recent years. For that reason alone, it deserves to be praised and admired by the largest possible audience.

No matter what you think of this film, positive or negative, you can't honestly say you've seen anything like it. For that reason alone, I would recommend watching this film. How many major motion pictures released worldwide can actually bear that distinction? There are both amusing plot twists as well as likable characters. So okay, the film is obviously low budgeted and the musical interludes are a little jarring. The music itself is fine and the low budget special effects are kind of its' charm. It's all still pretty funny with decent performances. The only warning I would give is the film's humor is mostly of the "so strange it's funny" variety, which is personally my favourite but may reason for some of the negative reactions posted here.

I saw a preview for this movie, and it looked hilarious. It was not, but it was good, slightly sweet, fairly funny, and worth watching.

This is a quirky Canadian film, so if you do not understand or like Canadian humor, then you likely will not like this film. (Canadian humor is 50% Monty Python, 10% American slapstick and 40% self mocking).

The "special effects".... I am stretching that word to its limits... are fine for the style of movie.

The acting is very strong and really fun to watch, not a single weak link.

The scrip Idea is fun, the writing,not brilliant, but amusing, and the cast pull it off well.

I recommend this comedy for some feel good light laughs.