The Fourth Kind 2009

       In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters.  When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind.  When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind.  When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind.  The next level abduction, is the fourth kind.  In modern-day, Alaska where mysteriously since the 1960s a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year? Despite multiple FBI investigations of this region, the truth has never been discovered?  In this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients.  She unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented.  The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses.  Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details and the validity of these visits is investigated throughout the film.

     This sci-fi thriller from director Olatunde Osunsanmi mixes supposedly real footage of alien abductees with re-creations played out by actors including Milla Jovovich and Will Patton.  This mix makes it difficult to know what to believe and it could confuse or mislead overly trusting kids.  Parents should be ready to talk about telling the difference between fact and fiction.  Plus, in addition to an overall sense of dread, there are a couple of shockingly violent moments including a bloody stabbing and a blurry scene in with a man killing his wife, children and himself.  This event could scare the daylights out of some viewers??  2 1/2* (this movie is so-so)

98 min, Horror directed and written by Olatunde Osunsanmi with Mila Jovovich, Will Patton, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Corey Johnson, Enzo Cilenti, Elias Koteas, Eric Loren, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Raphael Coleman, Daphne Alexander, Alisha Seaton, Tyne Rafaeli, Paul Stefanov, Kiera McMaster, Sara Houghton.

Note:  Imdb 5 out of 10* with 73,811 reviews, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, 2* out of 5*, age 15+, 1* sex, 3* language, 4* violence, Amazon 4.5 Out of 4 1/2* with 4871 reviews, Metacritic 34 out of 100 with 27 critic reviews, 5.7 out of 10 with 94 user scores, Letterboxd 2.6* out of 5* with 18 fans, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* out of 5*, ING Movies 2 1/2*. 

Trivia:  "The Fourth Kind" is a reference to scientist J. Allen famous categories involving the sightings of UFOs.  Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) also referred to this scale.