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!

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.

I was watching this low budget Canadian Movie Phil the Alien. This movie deals with an alien that crash lands in Northern Ontario. He ends up becoming friends with a talking beaver. This causes some funny stuff to happen. In one scene the one guy says "Listen Phil He's a Beaver." Phil Says "He's My Friend OK!" In this movie Phil goes from drunk to being in a Christian rock band to a mass murderer.

There is some strange stuff in this movie that is really funny. There is one scene where Phil needs a cigarette. He keeps yelling demanding a cigarette. He eventually gets arrested for assaulting a cigarette vending machine. Most of the time this movie is pretty funny. There are parts where this movie is slow. The theme song they use "Phil The Alien" keeps getting stuck in my head. There is something enchanting about that song. I can't get over the strange alien sounds Phil makes in this movie. I really enjoyed this movie.

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.

PHIL THE ALIEN is a hilarious Canadian comedy about an alien that crash lands on Earth, gets drunk, befriends a talking beaver, joins a band, becomes the messiah, is hunted by assassins in pimpin' fur coats, and goes on a killing spree. If you need more of a reason to see this, something is wrong with you.

Rob Stefaniuk is insanely funny as Phil. In fact, the whole cast works great in this film. Which is pretty rare.

My only gripe is that it looks like a Canadian film. By that I mean that it could have been shot on equipment someone found in Grandpa's den, and mom washed the film that that the director left in his good pants. Ignoring that, which was easy enough, I'd say see this movie as soon as possible. (8/10)