User reviews

I don't believe in aliens, but one ever existed and I ran into it, I hope it looks like Kim Bassinger!

Ditsy but humorous in spots and a generally likable movie is how I saw this film. Basinger hardly ever looked better, which is saying a lot. At the time, it was unusual to see her in a comedy after viewing her in tough crime or sex-type movies for awhile. (I didn't see this film until 10 years after it had been released.) She's a decent comedienne, like her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin) has turned out to be, too.

The comedy is more chuckles than guffaws. There is the usual too-liberal "values" espoused here, in which sex on the first date is "cool," even considered that b the teen daughter! The latter, however, "Jessie" (Alyson Hannigan) is a cute kid and not annoying as most teen girls on in modern-day films. The casual sex and general secular attitude toward everything including that "science is everything" were all annoying to me but it's still a likeble movie. The profanity isn't too much, except by Jon Lovitz, who provides much of it. In all, a dumb story but a nice, feel-good ending helps.

This movie definitely falls under the "so bad it's funny" category. It is easily one of the most absurd Hollywood movies ever. Some of it almost feels like a Bugs Bunny cartoon starring SNL alums. The writer and director were either in the middle of a massive hallucinogen binge or had just gotten done watching like forty billion bad 1950s movies in a row.

Akroyd is mostly boring, but the look on his face when the ultra sexy Basinger puts the moves on him is priceless -- you can tell he's been in that situation before. The best acting in the movie probably comes from the dog, but as far as human actors go, Alyson Hannigan (the daughter) is an entertaining and refreshing break from the pouty, "my parents are so lame" cardboard cutouts found in most 80s and 90s comedies.

One of the funniest things I've ever seen comes at the party after the wedding. It lasts about a split second, but the band's keyboard player does the goofiest, most ridiculous 'pretending to make music' acting job ever.

Bottom line: the story and dialogue are so completely ludicrous that depending on how goofy a sense of humor you have, this will either be the worst or the funniest movie you'll ever see.

If there is anyone out there who takes this movie seriously has real problems. Your not supposed to take this movie seriously, its a comedy, a COMEDY, cant you just laugh at how dumb it is? The lead cast is god, but its a cool movie because there are a lot of bit parts from people who are now stars in this film. Juliette Lewis has one line, and is the flower girl. Seth Green and Alison Flannigan from Buffy the Vampire Slayer have roles as well. Its not as bad a movie as people say, just dont take it literally.

I'm wondering if everyone who reviewed this was watching the same film that I've seen because there is no way this movie can "endanger your mental growth." This movie is great! It's got a funny script and an interesting storyline...I don't know if people were expecting some kind of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" challenger, but you all need to see this movie for what it is...somehow I doubt it was meant to deliver some deep message about society or help you delve into your soul...it's a comedy that is meant to entertain! Lighten up, people....

Ok, I admit to a guilty pleasure at 1)enjoying and 2) recommending this movie.

The plot is weak, the situation implausible and the secondary characters are weak. So why do I give this movie a 7/10?

Dan Aykroyd and Kim Basinger, who have some of the funniest lines in any movie.

They are both excellent as 'fish out of water' he as a nerdy social misfit and she as the space travelling investigator who has to find out how Dan Aykroyd's character was able to contact her planet from a primitive Earth.

It is a movie that definitely grows on you with repeated viewings.

I'm not much for the 80's. I was too young to remember them(was 4 when they ended), and listening to the music, looking at the hairstyles and watching the movies... it's just not the same. This particular brand of 80's comedy hits a particularly bad note with me; the fish-out-of-the-water, combined with ridiculous sci-fi and with many of the jokes heavily, pitifully overdone. As such, this movie is hard for me to objectively review... so you will have to forgive me if this turns a tad too cruel. Having seen this at least once before, a few years ago, I mainly watched this to see the popular teen actors at a younger age... Lewis, Hannigan and Green. It was quite amusing to see them so young, and I don't regret investing a hundred minutes of half-attentive time on it... again. The film itself is OK... the plot is about as far out as they go, but I guess it's somewhat original and surely an interesting idea. The pacing seems mostly off, and you're often pondering when a scene will move on. This may be that I'm used to newer, more fast-paced movies... but I have few(if any) problems with Hitchcock's films, even his oldest... so I suspect that it's the direction rather than my attention span. The humor is mostly poor, or at least overdone. The gags are maybe funny at first, but when you get down to it, it's basically one joke told over and over, and it's just not that funny or original. The acting seems somewhat shoddy, as well. The characters are mostly one-note jokes, walking clichés, stereotypes, whichever expression you prefer. All in all, this is a fair comedy, considering the time it was made, but it's not really worth watching unless you're a big fan of some of the actors. I recommend this only to very big fans of several of the people involved in making it. 5/10

During the period when Richard Benjamin wasn't acting in any movies, he turned to directing, and "My Stepmother Is an Alien" was one of the results. It features nerdy astronomer Steven Mills (Dan Aykroyd) accidentally doing something that causes alien Celeste Martin (Kim Basinger) to get sent to earth. Naturally, she has to learn about everything step by step, causing some really wacky situations.

This movie's nothing special, but good for a laugh. You probably really like the scene where Celeste asks her purse "What is sex?". Also starring Alyson Hannigan, Jon Lovitz, and Seth Green. Oh, and most of us probably know that Aykroyd had already played Mr. Conehead on "SNL".

A less-than-funny Dan Akroyd comedy, in a series of hit and miss movies where Dan Akroyd plays a widower, a man with marital problems and so on - "My Girl" etc. Interestingly paralleling the real life issues of the real Dan Akroyd the man, not his various characters.

A typical end of 80ies movie which relies on the "isn't this weird" humour, which sometimes veers off into culturally inappropriate directions, and I'm not meaning "politically incorrect" - just cringy or bad. This movie will make you squirm in you seat and not for good reasons.

It'll probably figure somewhere on a doctoral dissertation on the "Grandeur and decadence of the 1980ies movie industry" someplace in the future.

This movie was fun. I don't know why everyone is ragging on it. Deserving, nerdy guy gets the girl and saves the world. Nice salutes to movies of the '40s. If the plot's weak, it's because there's not much conflict, no diabolical scheming bad guy. The characters are all sweet and real enough that you care about them. Ms. Basinger is pretty, but if you want to see her do sexy, see _Cool World_.

You can always tell when a narcissistic horny guy has written a movie. This movie was a thinly veiled attempt to make a movie about a nymphomaniac alien that loves sex with a largely undesirable and nerdy man.

Celeste (Kim Basinger), an alien, came to Earth and promptly flattered, kissed, screwed, and married Dr. Steve (Dan Aykroyd). Not only did she have sex with him, but she loved it and after marriage she cooked, cleaned, and everything else a man would want in a wife. I think "Beautiful Nymphomaniac Homemaker Alien" would've been too tacky of a title and they would've had to to make it no less than an 'R' rating.

Celeste did all of these favors for Steve ostensibly to save her planet. She needed him to send another transmission to her planet to save it, which didn't make any sense. How does a transmission from another galaxy save your planet?

All that aside, Kim Basinger is not cutout for comedy. She is not funny. She's better suited for... for... umm... something else. I didn't even finish the movie the absurdity factor was so high. It was bordering on fatal dosages strong enough to kill brain cells. I figured, you've already taken precious time from my life I can never get back, you're not taking my brain cells too.

I thought this movie was hilarious! I don't understand how this movie got an average of 4 stars. I remember liking this movie when I was a kid and I still love this movie today. I bought the DVD and watch it often. Kim Basinger and Dan Akroyd are wonderful in this delightful film together. Not too many movies can make me laugh out loud. Sure this may be a cheesy film but what 80's movie wasn't cheesy? The eyeball is also hilarious! One of my fav scenes in the movie is when the eyeball is teaching Celeste what sex is, both of their reactions throughout that scene are so funny and unforgettable. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes comedies.

I rather enjoyed this film! I actually thought that it was a crack-up! Okay, so it's not the funniest movie that was ever made. So what?! Not every comedy was written by Neil Simon or Woody Allen. Of course, the fact that I saw it when it was first released (more than 10 years ago) might have something to do with my enjoyment factor. The special effects, especially by today's standards, are pretty corny. But, all in all, it was enjoyable. And hey, after all, where else can you get to see T.V.'s Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars, Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green, when they first appeared as boyfriend and girlfriend, years before their television romance began?!

MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN is one of those films with a great title but little in the way of a real plot to go with it. It's a typical lame '80s comedy in which a bunch of dated aliens beam down on Earth and one of them adopts the rather unlikely form of Kim Basinger in order to infiltrate mankind's society. What follows is an endless barrage of dated jokes, unfunny jokes, and just plain weirdness.

I'll admit from the outset to not being a fan of Basinger, although she's well cast as an alien character here; there's always been something a bit weird about her, after all. Dan Aykroyd is stuck in the 'everyman hero' type role and can do little with it, although there's novelty value that arises from seeing future stars like Alyson Hannigan, Seth Green, and Juliette Lewis when they were but children.

The special effects in the film have dated, not to mention the fashions and hairstyles, and overall it only raised a few chuckles along the way. Overall I think the '80s wave of alien comedies (such as MORONS FROM OUTER SPACE and EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY) was a disappointing one, an assembly of movies that did little to progress either the sci-fi or comedy genres in any way.

I rate this film as "so bad, it's kinda good". It reeks of everything I feel the Eighties was trying to get away from when it became the Nineties, however nostalgia will forever hallow certain themes, in a "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" sort of way.

Certainly by today's standards this movie is very corny and lacks any real depth sought by movie lovers everywhere, but it has a lot of tongue in cheek charm that other movies lack. It's possible I only say these things because I first saw the film when quite young and I remember liking it... that's a great way to end up liking films that other people really cannot get along with.

As a summary, I couldn't sit down and watch this film with any of my friends, but it would be a perfect companion on a slow evening when I'm ill and had a few beers and need my mind taking off things. Like this evening.

Oh dear. This has got to be the worst film I have ever seen. The plot is hardly original, the jokes fall flat, and Dan Ackroyd is the star. Why they ever spent money on this movie is a mystery to me. It's one redeeming feature are the appearances of pre 'Buffy...' era Seth Green and Alyson Hannigan. Their costumes have got to be the funniest part of the whole movie.

If you want to see a decent movie, rent out anything but this. If you are suffering from insomnia on the other hand...

It's interesting for me to see the ratings of most current comedies are often 6 or above, although in reality, they are mostly crass, stupid and not funny in the least. Many of these underrated 80s movies, I saw as a kid. I liked them then and I still like them now. Twins, Mad House, this one...all of them have horrible ratings, but are far superior to any of the current crap Hollywood churns out.

I think it's because movies of the 80s and 90s still focused on a story. Yes, the movie is cheesy in parts and some things look dated, but I feel that adds to its charm. The stories aren't as generic as they are today and you actually laugh. Even the hoaky scenes that are supposed to make you feel something actually work and the movies give you a positive feeling.

The cast fits well together. Dan Akroyd does his usual routine. Kim Basinger shows her funny side again, as she did in Blind Date (also underrated). Allison Hannigan is recognizable already and cute. Jon Lovitz is Jon Lovitz and has some of the best jokes. Heck, even watch out for Dan's colleague and his properly named science band, the "Loga rhythms" ;). Highly recommended for a re-rating and if you want to just laugh and forget your sorrow for some time:).

The movie as a whole is a little lame for a light family comedy. But some scenes between the four main characters are really funny.

And Alyson Hannigan really showed a lot of talent in the longer takes (I also think she besides Amber Benson was the best actress in the buffy cast), like when she helped her father dress for the wedding or at the breakfast or when Basinger reveals her true mission and Dan comes home from work. I noticed this long before hannigan became well known.

So, instead of a 3-4/10 this gets 5 from me.

The stage curtains open ...

Thirty one years ago, on our very first date together, my future wife and I went and saw this movie in the theater. We both walked out of it feeling it was kind of stupid and not very good. I guess you could say, this movie was a good gauge to see how compatible we were. I watched it again to see how I would feel about it over three decades later - and yes, I still felt it was very silly, but I actually enjoyed it this time around.

After scientist, Steven Mills (Dan Aykroyd), unwittingly sends a radio wave transmission to a neighboring galaxy, an alien in the form of Celeste Martin (Kim Basinger), is sent to find the source. A second radio wave is needed to be sent to correct a gravitational problem on an alien world that the first wave caused. Meanwhile, Mills and his daughter are still coping with the loss of his wife - but soon after Celeste arrives on the scene, all memory of her seems to be forgotten. In a race against time to save her home planet, Celeste does all she can to get Mills back on the case.

This movie was very silly - especially with this advanced alien species learning our earthly ways. Even so, Kim Basinger's performance was delightful and fun. Aykroyd played the constantly dumbfounded-by-her-methods role well, as the two characters offset each other in a good way. Alyson Hannigan (before her American Pie years) was good as his devoted and supportive daughter. It was also fun to see early Seth Green and Juliette Lewis sightings, and I've always been a Jon Lovitz fan.

Perhaps I enjoyed this film for it's sentimental value. Perhaps it was the campy sci-fi comedy that only the 80's could bring us. Whatever it was that attracted me to this film all these years later, it comes with a recommend. Super silly, completely unbelievable - but totally enjoyable and entertaining.

This is a movie which "grows on you". At first viewing you might think it is just a lot of silly nonsense, but then see it again and take a more considered view. Of course it is light entertainment, and not meant to be taken too seriously. But, in my opinion, it has a good story-line, and is well acted - Dan Aykroyd, Kim Basinger, etc - and holds your interest throughout. It is a better movie than many people give it credit for, and should become a classic. It has its poignant moments too. It has become one of my favourite films, and I reckon it's worth 7 out of 10.

Widower Dr. Steve Mills (Dan Ackroyd) is a two-bit astronomer who wants desperately to send a light beam "out of" the solar system. He fervently believes there is life on other planets but his experiments have been known to damage expensive equipment. Therefore, his boss has told Steve that he will get the boot if he breaks anything else. Needing lightning to bolster his beam, Dr. Steve begins his next attempt at intergalactic communication in a thunderstorm when the system suddenly gets a "superboost" of power, which he can't explain. The result is that the radar shows his light went into another GALAXY, hurrah, but, soon after, the entire system goes south. Steve gets thrown out on his ear, of course. He goes home to his thirteen year old daughter, Jessie (Alyson Hannigan) and contemplates his next move. His womanizing brother, Ron (Jon Lovitz, absolutely hilarious) throws a party to cheer him up, too. But, crashing the get-together, is a beautiful blonde, Celeste (Kim Basinger) who flirts with Steve and wants to know his science secrets. That's because she is an alien whose planet was damaged by Dr. Mills' light beam. She has only a short time to get the good astronomer to send the jolt again so that her world will be saved. But, naturally, Steve must not know she is not an earthling. From alien "eyes" in handbags to drinking car batteries to convincing Steve to marry her, will Celeste succeed in her rescue attempts? If you are world weary, I heartily recommend this old charmer. It is very funny, probably Richard Benjamin's best effort, and it has a terrific cast, too. Ackroyd is wonderful but, then, so is Basinger in a role for which she has probably never garnered any praise, which is a big shame, for she is very funny and sweet. As for Lovitz, he could make a stone laugh and he is in excellent form in this one. All of the other cast members, including Hannigan, in her first big role, are fine. There is an abundance of terrific sight gags and special effects and the script is humorous, polished, and offbeat. As for the costumes, they are impressive, with Basinger looking like a dream. In short, do not be an alien to this film. There have been many films in cinematic history which have been praised high above this one but there are very few that actually deliver the laughs and enjoyment of this truly winning flick.

This movie wasn't that bad. I saw this with my friend while I was home flipping through the channels. It had some funny parts, but mostly i found myself thinking, "What the hell is this?" Weird movie, but I thought it was worth it to see younger versions of Seth Green and Alyson Hannigan. Don't go out and rent this movie, but if its on tv, you might want to take a quick look.

Oh, please! Give me a break. For a scientist, Steven (Dan Akroyd) is a pretty dumb guy. With all of her strange behavior, and his daughter (Alyson Hannigan) screaming it at him, he still couldn't realize that Celeste (Kim Basinger) is an Alien??? Besides that, the movie also insults the viewer's intelligent with the dumbest scenes you have ever seen. The only reason I watched it is to see Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green, who are actors from my favorite show, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Alyson looked exactly like she does now, although Seth looks totally different. If you're a Buffy fan, it's worth seeing the hole stupid movie for the few scenes that they're in. But don't rent it. Watch it on TV, or get it from a friend that has it on tape, cause it's just not worth the money!