Kids vs. Aliens Review
12 years ago we were given a movie called Hobo with a shotgun, which broke a plethora of rules. It was not a movie for everybody nor will ever be due to its merciless (yet fun and even atmospheric) nature. Now, Mr. Eisener has broken his decade long hiatus in order to return with a film that is not only a proper horror film but also takes advantage of that fact by amplifying as many things as possible with said genre. Yesiree, from the way it builds up to all that carnage he's best known for towards the end of the second act to the way it serves as a perfected/elongated version of that alien short from All Hallows Eve (even though it's actually a longer version of a short from a V/H/S installment) to the shocking albeit ultimately fitting ending, Kids vs. Aliens is Mr. Eisener essentially having perfected his craft throughout that hiatus. But even with Mr. Eisener's renowned touches does it also demonstrate how we are indeed no longer in 2011 anymore. Whether it's the fleshed out dialogue (particularly based on the human, albeith occasionally exaggerated, drama between Gary and Sam), or even the death of a character by the final act, Kids vs. Aliens proves how these sort of movies are less an interest and more an art of their own. The 80s are now as classic as the 30s/40s were during the former decade, meaning extracting as many years of knowledge from the years that came before to produce an ultimately (if mostly intimately) niche vibe is almost impossible unless it's sincerely worth the practical effects and saturated editting. But even as Mr. Eisener did his best to make sure not even us apologists would have an excuse by the very end (especially as we've even seen his more twisted shorts from Treevenge to Y is for Yungbuck), Kids vs. Aliens nonetheless reminded us of why as far as Rutger Haeur wished to return to that era. It's like watching the director hand us the recipe for the cake we can't have because he ate it in front of our very eyes. Meaning it will depend on whether you felt inspired or swindled.