My Stepmother Is an Alien

My Stepmother Is an Alien is a whimsical love story from 1988 that smoothly combines comedy, sci-fi and a touch of romance. The movie garners quite a bit of its charisma and humor by pushing the boundaries of the usual 'fish out of water' trope, offering an engaging intergalactic twist to it. It integrates some science-fiction elements while deftly maintaining its breezy tone throughout the narrative. The outlandish, yet light-hearted storyline gets its captivating energy from the brilliant performances delivered by its lead actors, namely, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Basinger, and Jon Lovitz.

In the movie, Dan Aykroyd plays Steven Mills, a widowed astrophysicist, trying to break new frontiers in his field. His life is dedicated to his research and teenage daughter, Jessie (played by Alyson Hannigan), who time and again covers up for his absent-minded and geekish tendencies. In a pivotal scene, Steven attempts an experimental procedure involving a high-frequency radar beam. As expected in a science-fiction comedy, this doesn't go as intended, his experiment ends up knocking out the communication between a far-off alien civilization and one of its members stationed on Earth. The interstellar mishap sends shock waves across space, attracting the attention of the alien leadership.

The extraordinary Kim Basinger plays Celeste Martin, a beautiful and highly intelligent extraterrestrial, sent from her planet to Earth to investigate the radar incident. While her superior intellect allows her to learn languages rapidly and understand Earth's culture in no time, her naivety and lack of familiarity with earthly ways make for a series of fun and eccentric events. It's a role that requires a sense of subtlety and vivacity, and Basinger does an outstanding job in striking that balance.

The plot becomes even more exhilarating when Celeste decides to blend into human society to complete her mission not knowing that the human emotions, nuances, and cultural eccentricities are a lot more complex to grasp than merely learning a language or understanding technological inventions.

Steven, smitten by the attractive newcomer in town, is completely oblivious of the fact that Celeste is an alien. As the story unfolds, their relationship develops; Steven finds her otherworldliness endearing while Celeste, to her surprise, finds herself drawn in the warmth of human connections, especially her growing bond with Steven and his daughter, Jessie.

This unconventional family has an additional comic relief in the form of Bag (voiced by Ann Prentiss), a talking purse that has access to advanced alien technology and serves as an amusing, unconventional sidekick to Celeste. Meanwhile, Jon Lovitz, playing the role of Ron, Steven's lascivious and funny brother, offers more humor to the story with his well-timed comedy and witty on-screen presence.

Directed by Richard Benjamin, My Stepmother Is an Alien may not be an epic sci-fi tale, but it serves as an ideal watch for those who enjoy humorous and heart-warming stories spiced up with some extraterrestrial charm. The plot is light, entertaining with a generous dose of quirky jokes, slapstick comedy, and Sci-Fi quirkiness, making it an amusing feat of the late 80’s comedy trend.

Throughout the movie, the audience is guided through a journey of misperceptions, misunderstandings, and unexpected turns that hilariously test the characters' abilities and emotional resilience.

In a nutshell, My Stepmother Is an Alien is a fun escapade of laughter and love that does more than just play out a narrative; it underlines the quintessential humanism that so often gets taken for granted: love, empathy, and connections. This film, with the main characters' combination of human and extraterrestrial nature, captures the essence of these values, serving as a charming cinematic representation of how love and compassion can surpass any galaxy-wide barriers. Be prepared for a laugh-filled galactic ride with this late 80's released cinema gem.