Alienoid: Return to the Future ~ A 2024 Korean Film

9 Comments | 2024 K-dramas, action, adventure, Amazon Prime, fantasy, historical fiction, K-dramas, Korean drama, Korean movie, movie sequels, Movies, Romance, sci-fi, Science Fiction | By cmoneyspinner | October 19, 2024 | 4 minutes of reading

“Alienoid: Return to the Future” is a 2024 Korean film streaming on several platforms. On most of the platforms, the movie is for rent. However, on Amazon Prime, it is included with the monthly subscription. This movie is categorized as Action, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), and Romance.

SUMMARY: Earth is invaded by alien criminals who have the power to possess human bodies and can kill humans instantly with a red fog. The alien criminals are led by a mastermind criminal who intends to take over the planet. Thunder is also an alien who has been sent to Earth to recapture the escape alien criminals. Thunder will work with humans in two different time periods – the late Goryeo dynasty and the present day South Korea – to bring the alien criminals to justice.

♦ I Grew Up in the Past, But I Must Return to the Future

This 2024 Korean film is the sequel to “Alienoid” which was released in 2022. It’s a delightful fantasy/sci-fi movie and involves two timelines: the late Goryeo dynasty and present-day South Korea. Aliens from another planet have a way of imprisoning the criminals on their planet. They confine them in the prison of a human body, and they never ask the human for permission. One particular alien criminal is a mastermind known as, The Controller, who figures out how to escape from prison. “It” doesn’t just escape but “it” covers a certain part of the city with this red fog. The fog kills all the humans instantly! The primary goal of the criminal mastermind is to release all of the alien criminals and take over Earth.

A time door opens between the two periods and a mysterious sword is involved. In both time periods, the aliens and the humans want that sword. Thunder is an alien who is sent to Earth to recapture the criminal aliens and he gets help from humans. One human, Yi-An, is in present-day South Korea and the other human, Mu-Reuk, is in Goryeo.

Yi-An’s father is trying to catch the alien criminals but they enter his body. The alien starts heading towards Yi-An and in the confusion she gets transported back to Goryeo where she meets Mu-Reuk. They are both young children at the time. They both grow up, and develop a close relationship. Yi-An must find that mysterious sword so that she can return to the future and help the humans battle with the aliens. But she’s not the only one trying to possess the divine sword.

Meanwhile, in the future, Min Gae-In, is a descendant of an important figure in the Goryeo dynasty, who left her instructions on what to do when the alien criminals invade Earth. They really need to get rid of the red fog and recapture the alien criminals. The fate of humankind depends on whoever wields that sword!

Main Characters:

Mu-Reuk (played by Ryu Jun-Yeol, “The Night Owl”, “Believer”)
Yi-An (played by Kim Tae-Ri, “Space Sweepers”)
Thunder (played by Kim Woo-Bin, “Officer Black Belt”, “Black Knight”)
Min Gae-In (played by Lee Ha-Nee, “Knight Flower”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

IMDb rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars
Letterboxd: 3.2 out of 5 stars
Google users shared a public rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as Letterboxd.

Kim Woo-bin is one of my favorite South Korean actors. In both movies, he plays the alien who came to Earth to recapture the alien criminals. He was fantastic! In Part 2, he did not have a prominent role but he did make appearances. The main focus of the sequel was on Yi-An getting back to the future to save humankind. I enjoyed the sequel just as much as the first film. They were both delightfully entertaining.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE Review: A Worthy Sequel to 2022’s Korean Sci-Fi Action Extravaganza | Screen Anarchy

Movie Review: More Crazy Korean Eye Candy, “Alienoid: Return to the Future” | Movie Nation

Alienoid 2 Return to the Future Review: A Sequel That Is Just As Confusing As The First | Society Reviews

Duel for the Dagger: Alienoid: Return to the Future (2024) Movie Review | Blood Brothers Films

TRAILER/TEASER:

Trailer, Rapid. “ALIENOID 2: Return to the Future Official Trailer (2024) Sci-Fi Movie HD.” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 10, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snjYMx5A7KU.‌

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Marilyn Slothroe

New Member

39 messages 3 likes

#1 Oct 20, 2024

I’ve seen Alienoid, and I had mixed feelings about it. The premise of aliens hiding in human bodies was unique, but the red fog concept felt a little overdone. Now, hearing about the sequel, I’m a bit skeptical. It seems like they’re recycling some plot points from the first movie, especially with this sword chase. Don’t get me wrong, I love historical fiction, but if the story becomes too convoluted, it risks losing its appeal. I also noticed the reviews are pretty divided, which doesn’t boost my confidence much. Might give it a chance, but I’m not rushing.

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Shayla_15200

I am Alive!

146 messages 4 likes

#2 Oct 20, 2024

One thing I love about Korean films is their fearless approach to genre-blending. The concept of aliens interacting with ancient Korean history in Alienoid: Return to the Future is such an intriguing idea. The way they mix sci-fi, action, and even romance shows how versatile the Korean film industry has become. Ryu Jun-Yeol and Kim Woo-bin are stellar actors, so I’m excited to see them in this sequel. Plus, with the story spanning centuries and different eras, it’s like watching a mashup of a space opera and a historical drama, which is rare in Western cinema.

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JustinValdez

New Member

18 messages 0 likes

#3 Oct 20, 2024

Alienoid: Return to the Future reminds me a bit of Space Sweepers, another sci-fi Korean film that I loved, but this one seems even more layered. The red fog plot device, alien criminals, and the idea of fighting across timelines sound promising. I think they’ve taken a big risk by mixing so many genres like romance and action with historical fiction, but Korean cinema tends to pull these things off well. My only concern is whether they’ll explain everything clearly. Time travel can get messy fast if the writing isn’t sharp, but I’m willing to dive in!

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Lycopene

New Member

480 messages 17 likes

#4 Oct 20, 2024

The idea of a divine sword being the key to saving humanity is a cool concept. Plus, the fact that it involves two different time periods adds depth to the storyline. I’m a big fan of time travel plots because they usually lead to unpredictable twists. It’s also great that they’re continuing the story from the first film, which had a unique take on aliens. This is definitely something I want to check out soon!

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Dawglas

Member

466 messages 15 likes

#5 Oct 20, 2024

What grabbed my attention the most about this movie is the use of a divine sword. I’ve always been into films that use artifacts as central plot points, and this mysterious sword driving the storyline reminds me of some classic fantasy tropes. Combining that with alien criminals and a battle across time just elevates the stakes. The inclusion of two timelines also makes me wonder if the events of the past will heavily influence the outcome in the future. I think this movie will provide a lot of twists, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

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Betchis

My style's all Brit and the Yanks can't nic,

89 messages 7 likes

#6 Oct 20, 2024

I love me a good sci-fi flick, but Alienoid: Return to the Future seems like it’s doing the absolute most. I’ve never been a fan of over-complicated plots, and this one looks like it’s cramming in time travel, alien invaders, a red fog that kills people, and even a sword chase. It’s hard to imagine how all these elements work together without getting confusing. That being said, I do appreciate that Korean cinema often takes bold risks like this, and sometimes it pays off. I’ll have to see for myself if this is one of those times.

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cmoneyspinner

What does the Fox say?

1,796 messages 36 likes

#7 Oct 21, 2024

I’ve seen Alienoid, and I had mixed feelings about it. The premise of aliens hiding in human bodies was unique, but the red fog concept felt a little overdone. Now, hearing about the sequel, I’m a bit skeptical. It seems like they’re recycling some plot points from the first movie, especially with this sword chase. Don’t get me wrong, I love historical fiction, but if the story becomes too convoluted, it risks losing its appeal. I also noticed the reviews are pretty divided, which doesn’t boost my confidence much. Might give it a chance, but I’m not rushing.

Alienoid 1 and 2 are not A+ movies, but they are entertaining. I didn't rush to watch them either. However, my reason was economical. The films were for rent. I waited until they were offered as part of the subscription or they were streaming for free. LOL.

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cmoneyspinner

What does the Fox say?

1,796 messages 36 likes

#8 Oct 21, 2024

I love me a good sci-fi flick, but Alienoid: Return to the Future seems like it’s doing the absolute most. I’ve never been a fan of over-complicated plots, and this one looks like it’s cramming in time travel, alien invaders, a red fog that kills people, and even a sword chase. It’s hard to imagine how all these elements work together without getting confusing. That being said, I do appreciate that Korean cinema often takes bold risks like this, and sometimes it pays off. I’ll have to see for myself if this is one of those times.

It does sound convoluted. Oddly enough though, it wasn't that complicated after all. I watched it because I like Kim Woo-Bin. I know this actor has had some serious health issues and was not working for a while. It's great to see him working again. He is always good no matter what part he plays.

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cmoneyspinner

What does the Fox say?

1,796 messages 36 likes

#9 Oct 21, 2024

What grabbed my attention the most about this movie is the use of a divine sword. I’ve always been into films that use artifacts as central plot points, and this mysterious sword driving the storyline reminds me of some classic fantasy tropes. Combining that with alien criminals and a battle across time just elevates the stakes. The inclusion of two timelines also makes me wonder if the events of the past will heavily influence the outcome in the future. I think this movie will provide a lot of twists, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

I also liked the battle for the divine sword and the time travel elements.

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