August 2022 saw the U.S. release of writer/director Choi Dong-hoon’s cinematic hybrid Alienoid (외계+인 1부) into theaters. A mixture of martial arts, comedy, drama, and science fiction that takes place in 2022 Korea *and* the Goryeo Dynasty, Choi’s work may seem like a “throw everything at the wall” tale when it’s actually a tonally-synched adventure that delivers all the entertainment audiences could possibly want. But in 2022, it was only Part One that was offered with Part Two coming soon, which meant January 2024 in the U.S.. The concluding story, subtitled Return to the Future (외계+인 2부), picks up immediately where the first leaves off and then keeps running until the end, using the briefest of respites to demonstrate how minor characters in the first play big roles in the end. Now, thanks to Well Go USA, Return to the Future is set to reside on physical formats, bringing with it two brief behind-the-scenes featurettes to expand the appreciation for the film.
If you’re interested in learning about Alienoid: Return to the Future without ruining the experience, head over to the initial theatrical spoiler-free review. Moving forward, we’re going to discuss all the secrets of this sci-fi adventure conclusion.
Kim Tae-ri as Ean in ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
In the past, Muruk (Ryu Jun-yeol) has realized that there’s something inside of him that Mr. Blue and Madam Black (Jo Woo-jin and Yum Jung-ah, respectively) want to keep hidden, while Ean (Kim Tae-ri) nears the Destiny Blade and the ability to go home. In the present, Customs Officer Min Gae-in (Lee Ha-nee) keeps a sharp eye for a major event, as her ancestor from the past warned her to be ready in 2022 for monsters to attack. With the haava set to explode, can Ean return with the destiny blade in time to stop the explosion? Is what resides within Muruk friend or foe? It will take the convergence of warriors past and present to stop the Controller from escaping and setting the rest of the prisoners free, but at what cost?
L-R: Kim Tae-ri as Ean and Ryu Jun-yeol as Muruk in ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
A rewatch of films you enjoy can either help highlight what you liked or accentuate what you didn’t. Oddly, two things swapped places. An issue in the initial viewing that was explored in the initial review is the pacing, with the feeling that the film grinds to a halt when it jumps in time or works to set up Min’s role in the new story beyond being the aunt of young Ean’s (Choi Yu-ri) friend and possibly having the hots for Guard (Kim Woo-bin). In the rewatch, the threads from the past are easier to identify and reconcile, thereby removing the sense of slowed momentum that was previously felt. Now, it makes a great deal more sense and helps to drive home that, though a time travel movie which enables those in the past to arrive ahead of the deadline in the present, there’s still a ticking clock and life didn’t pause. Members of the Controller’s army continue to take action, which requires *someone* in the present to serve as a counter-point. In this case, it’s realizing that Min wasn’t just an interested party in Guard, but someone who, unaware to the situation, is tied to Ean through someone who knows enough about the monsters in the past to warn his future ancestor as he himself had been wounded by Jajang (Kim Eui-sung) and healed by the Divine Blade. With expectations gone, everything flows much more easily and Choi’s intention is far more clear. That said, what was far less of a problem the first time stands out more on the rewatch: the CG. In the home release for Alienoid, I discuss how the CG in the darker sequences improved over the initial viewing. Now, however, with the CG action taking place more often in daytime, it’s far easier for the illusion the story seeks to create to break, which is a bummer as the ideas present in this film are quite a great deal of fun in their execution. (More on this in a moment.)
Ryu Jun-yeol as Muruk in ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Just like Alienoid, Return includes a making-of featurette and a character trailer. Both are clearly designed as promotional materials with the first including cast and crew talking about the film amid big colorful text either hyping up the film or offering info on the production. One particular stand-out is text that reads “387 Day Expedition” suggesting that the total two-film production took that long. The marketing for the Creation of the Gods series includes mention of how each of the three films in its series were shot concurrently, but, unless it was missed when covering both Alienoid films the first time, there was no mention of doing the same here. If Choi did do this, it explains why the relatively fast turnaround between release dates. It’s a shame, then, that there’s not more materials accompanying the release to invite audiences further into the spectacle of this two-film fantasy adventure. That is to say that there’s not much really learned about the production in this featurette, except that they clearly had a good time on set making it. The second featurette is as-expected from the description; it’s a trailer which features moments highlighting the central characters of the film, each one getting a freeze-frame with the names of both actor/character provided. Another neat promo tool, but nothing that screams “added value” for excited home viewers. Other than this, it’s merely a theatrical trailer and the usual three-film preview of other Well Go releases.
Yum Jung-ah as Madam Black in ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Luckily, the on-disc presentation remains strong, which, as the center piece of the release, at least will delight fans of the series. The 1080p presentation is lovely and presents well, even when upconverted on a Panasonic 4K UHD player. The blending of CG characters and action is still a touch wonky, making it difficult to get fully-invested in the action, but this is mostly a day time issue or when the sequence is action heavy. When used more creatively, like the sequence with Muruk as he battles Madam Black and Mr. Blue, which utilizes more tangible props (like Muruk himself), the brief instances of flung arrows and other weaponry are less noticeable. Whereas the extended action sequence on the train, particularly its crash, is strangely rubbery in presentation. But it sounds great, which, for a home presentation that utilizes Dolby 5.1, at least once can get the auditory sense of chaos, though the on-screen presentation doesn’t always make it believable.
Kim Woo-bin as Thunder in ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Ultimately, though, Return to the Future sticks the landing by creating mystery around what we think we know from the end of the first story and then dropping surprise after surprise after. Muruk’s not the Controller, he’s the wielder of Thunder’s power, which makes all the talk of “monster” by the other dosas the same as when other films of various older periods refer to “demons” without the Western Christian affiliation. This creates opportunities that would’ve otherwise been restricted had it been him after all. Placing it within Ean not only makes it a bittersweet irony upon the discovery, it makes the journey home something of a horror than a reaching of a long-held desire. Alienoid told us enough to create assumptions and then smartly toyed with us until it was time to reveal all, at which point the film *still* had surprises in store. With luck, this is the end for these characters and their time-traveling adventure, but one can only hope that any future projects by Choi are equally smart and entertaining.
Alienoid: Return to the Future Special Features:
- Making Of (3:15)
- Character Trailer (3:23)
- Trailer (1:44)
- Three (3) Well Go USA Previews
Available on digital April 30th, 2024.
Available on Blu-ray and DVD July 30th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Well Go USA Alienoid: Return to the Future webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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