Review:They Live

Saw a reference to They Live (in Futurama I believe), and curious as to what kind of storyline could involve grotesque skull-faced aliens and a lens of some variety. And the experience was...well interesting I guess.

First off, I just want to point out that the film wasn't designed totally as a horror/sci-fi, though there are elements of these involved much of the movie has comedic elements, such as the main character repeatedly and untactfully insulting the aliens appearances, despite having no back-up plan.

The movie opens with a homeless drifter walking around, looking for a job. He is able to secure a temporary job at a construction site, and later travels to a nearby shantytown with his co-worker Frank. Due to a turn of events, the shantytown is attacked with bulldozers and destroyed for unknown reasons.

The drifter enters a nearby empty church, where he discovers a box full of mysterious sunglasses. Thinking them to be normal, he puts a pair on and leaves the building, only to discover that these glasses allow him to see subliminal messages on every form of media, encouraging shallow and meaningless behavior. He also discovers the existence of the aforementioned skull-faced aliens, disguised as human beings. After proceeding to kill two alien police officers and take their weapons, he proceeds to attack a bank full of the aliens (at the same time coining the popular phrase:"I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of bubblegum).

Through a convoluted turn of events he is able to recruit Frank (his former co-worker), and together they join up with a resistance cell. However, no sooner have they done this than the organization is attacked by the police, resulting in many casualties. However, the drifter and Frank are able to steal an alien teleportation wristwatch, teleporting to a banquet saluting the aliens and their knowing supporters.

After proceeding to make their way through the banquet, again massacring security, they end up on the roof. Frank is promptly killed by a double agent, who had developed a relationship with the drifter. Though she attempts to convince the drifter to give up, he uses a hidden pistol to kill her and destroy the beacon broadcasting the signal hiding the subliminal messages, allowing everyone to see the world for what it truly is.

The film concludes with a montage of shocked people discovering aliens in their midst, including a horrified woman who discovers her current lover is in fact an alien.

Though not groundbreaking in anyway, the film greatly embodies the paranoia at the lack of information concerning the  many issues affecting the world during the time it is set (the 80s I think), as well as putting a somewhat dark comedic tone to already dark subject matter. In short: it's no Star Wars, but pretty good. Go see it anyway.