You're abducting my guy all wrong...

It wasn't hard for me to take this movie seriously but there are scenes in the film that stretch that fortitude just because of Walken's on screen presence. There are plenty of instances where he's playing to a comedic tone for sure. He has the bandwidth to be a good measure of goofy in many scenes. It's part of his character's make up and he leans into it well. In reading the trivia on IMDb, I learned that this film was an adaptation of a book that was intended to be somewhat autobiographical of the author that Walken played in the film. He initially objected to the actor portraying him as his approach to the role seemed to make him seem a measure of crazy. Walken didn't mince words with his quip of "If the shoe fits". Now I don't think he intentionally went over the top on anything to simply convince the audience that his character was in fact some degree of insane. But I also don't think Walken chose to try and disprove the theory either. I would note the several scenes where he employed his classic style of dance that is unmistakably Walken. It didn't solidify the protagonist as particularly lucid but it was enjoyable as all get out.

I'm realizing that a good portion of my review is just going to be raving about Walken but I don't actually care all that much. The film was enjoyable but I really do pin that on the man himself. If you cast this role differently, it might still be a film worth watching. But the version it exists in is the one where Christopher Walken is abducted by aliens and it's eleven different kinds of wonderful. He's wacky in the best ways. His laughter is a blend of unsettling and welcoming somehow. His delivery is the impeccable Walken style that makes him unique. Even his movement, dancing aside, is just that swagger that only Chris can pull off. There's a reason he's such an iconic actor. And while this film isn't making the shelf any time soon, his performance was undeniably excellent. In the moments where things were heated, he brought that. In the moments where he needed to be vulnerable, that was just as believable. When he doubted himself, you doubted with him. So while he was a lot of fun in the connective tissue, he still gave his "A" game the whole time. Even when he was wearing a ridiculous fedora and I could not even begin to take him seriously. He was still giving the audience exactly what they needed.

I think to transition away from Walken, in fear of just writing a short essay on why I love him, I have to address that the entirety of the film did shift gears for me when it went from an interesting tale of alien abduction to autobiographical dramatization. It did make it a lot harder to take everything seriously. And while I would gladly hand it to the prop guys for their efforts in creating some very interesting aliens, I'm utilizing this spot in my review to highlight both good and bad. There were pieces of the alien presence early in the film that were quite ominous. The visual of being observed casually with such dead, dark eyes while Walken was in a sort of trance like state was genuinely unsettling. But keep watching and you get to a point where something creepy eventually came full circle and rested comfortably at a generally jokey tone. So on one hand I want to give it to the creative team that brought the practical aliens to life, while on the other I have to acknowledge that they quickly lost credibility the more time they spent on screen. By the end of the film, it felt kind of like Full Moon Pictures raided the Jim Henson Creature shop for the movie. It wasn't that they looked low budget but the whole presentation was almost cartoony towards the end.

Additionally, I have to rag on the overall story for a moment. As just a story, I think they hit the mark that there's a brooding kind of tone on the front end that is a slow burn creeping tale of something nefarious of an intergalactic origin. Even if I hadn't eventually known this was written by the real life counterpart of Walken on screen, by the ending of the film we would have firmly abandoned that. I'm not an alien guy. I don't think the movie was trying to overtly convince me they exist but I also couldn't help but frame the film against the backdrop that what I'm being shown was supposed to have happened. As a supernatural occurrence, there's an eerie air about it. As an account of events that were implied to have actually transpired, I'm much more inclined towards disbelief. Because of that proposition, I do find it harder to separate this film into a cohesive, enjoyable story. If I'm to believe these events played out in some fashion, even if the drama was elevated for the theatrical production, it's just a much harder pill to swallow. Apply the over-the-top kooky performance by Walken and the whole thing feels more like a B plot to a Men In Black rip off than anything. Again, not like I'd be praising the story in some alternate universe by the end of the film. But knowing the case of things, it really is hard to accept any of it as truly enjoyable cinema.

I think I have to land at a C on this one and that's ALL Walken. Without him, I don't know that this movie is really even watchable. Not because it would otherwise be bad. It's just not any kind of interesting. Walken makes it fun and brings it to life. Even if he's unhinged at times or just delivering some of that coy, awkward Walken goodness, that's what makes this film fun. Even an incredibly capable actor doesn't really increase the value of the film for me. Trying to play this straighter or more dramatic doesn't endear it towards more believable. I don't know that there's a way to try and make the story itself hold more water so I think they did the next best thing. They didn't turn it into a comedy but by casting Walken, you get that wonderful byproduct of what he brings to the crossroads of drama and comedy. If you like Walken, you'll enjoy the movie. If you don't, I'd simply move on. It will just feel like a bit of a drawn out fever dream that doesn't conclude in any complete fashion.

That's day 25. A week from today my house will be covered in Christmas decorations, more so than it is already. I cannot wait. But I will be savoring this last week of Halloween goodness. I don't even mind that Walken cracked my list today. I'm kind of happy that I got to endure this film to get the pieces he dropped in my lap. I'm not sure how this final week comes together. I think we will finish strongly like we have been going through most of the month. But that will fully depend on how these last handful of days present themselves and what films feel like the right ones each day. That's the fun of this task each year. Planning only takes me so far. The film selection lives in the mood of the day. And this year even beyond my own mood. That's been a fun twist. Makes me wonder what kind of new elements we can bring to 2027's month of madness. But that's another thought for another day. We can shut the books on day 25 and simply wait for tomorrow to arrive to find out what's in store next. I'm just as excited as you are, imaginary audience I'm writing to. So we'll do the thing here and I'll catch you on the flip side.