Asteroid City

It's sometimes hard to write new ways to praise a consistently appealing film style. I wish I could articulate better than pointing out stunningly realistic robots in disguise, for example. It's somewhat easier to articulate on Asteroid City's visual style. Ironically, it's the latest film of another consistently appealing filmmaker - Wes Anderson.

Let's start with the titular place. This desert town designed by Adam Stockhausen and filtered through Robert Yeomen's camera sears into your eyes with its vivid color palette. Its every hue is amplified by the desert sun. Contrast that with Stanley Zak's (Tom Hanks) cooler estate when he argues with son-in-law Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman). Its incomplete highway is as quirky as the town's centerpiece crater. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Who are Stanley and Augie?

They're two of the ensemble of Conrad Earp's (Edward Norton) latest play, Asteroid City. A TV Host (Bryan Cranston) presents the play's origins as a black-and-white special, while the play itself is visualized in color. Augie's son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) is among the five teen geniuses competing for a scholarship at Asteroid City's Junior Stargazer Convention. Augie and Stanley's mutual dislike is made worse by Auggie's wife/Stanleys daughter's recent death. Augie soon falls for movie star Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), while Woodrow falls for her daughter and fellow genius, Dinah (Grace Edwards). 

There's a whole bunch of others. The harried Gen. Gibson (Jeffrey Wright), schoolteacher June (Maya Hawke) and her charges, Dr. Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton) and singing cowboy Montana (Rupert Friend) barely scratch the surface of its massive cast list. Their lives are complicated when they get a close encounter of the third kind. This forces the US Government to quarantine the city. The residents try to make do, but that won't last forever. Meanwhile, Jones Hall, who plays Augie, tries to make sense of the story.

Let's rundown a few subplots. Woodrow's sisters Andromeda, Pandora and Cassiopeia (triplets Ella, Gracie and Willan Farris) argue with Stanley over their mom's final resting place. Junior Stargazer Ricky Cho (Ethan Josh Lee) blows the alien cover-up wide open, while fellow honoree Clifford Kellogg (Aristou Meehan) keeps asking adults to dare him to do stupid stuff. The real world adds Mercedes Ford's (cast as Midge) conflicts with director Schubert Green (Adrien Brody) and Jones reconnecting with the actress who would have played Augie's wife (Margot Robbie). It's surprisingly easy to comprehend it all during its 105 minutes.

None of Wes Anderson's films produced a single acting Oscar nomination. Maybe Schwartzman's should be the first. Augie deals with his loss on multiple fronts. He's not that successful but he's still a good protagonist. His romance with Midge, as well as Woodrow's with Dinah, is charming. His and Stanley's mutual dislike is as funny as it is tense. It's quite compelling to watch him make sense of the strangeness. Jones Hall is magnetic when he acts out a scene for Earp. The climax gives him and Augie much needed closure. It's not a lot but it's enough.

The close encounters are as awkward as they are stunning. Alexandre Desplat's score perfectly sells us the magnitude of the alien's visits. Both times, the alien's ship bathes the town in green light. Everything stops. But then comes the alien, a lean spaceman who awkwardly makes off with, and later returns, the town's prized meteorite. It's practically a deer in the headlights. Its awkwardness is perfectly portrayed by stop-motion, while the play's suit is pretty good. I'm going to leave the name briefly seen as the alien's actor a surprise.

You'll barely forget anybody or their subplots in Asteroid City's massive cast. You might need that cast list to pick out a few actors (like Liev Schrieber as Clifford's dad). But their characters stand out easily in such a short runtime. Their stories are just as appealing as its visual styles. Come down to the local theater for a few delightfully quirky hours at Asteroid City. Wait till you see the Stargazers' inventions. See what I mean when you see it soon.

Elemental

Pixar could use a theatrical hit right now. 

It was a mistake to demote Turning Red to a primarily Disney Plus movie. That could have been an exhibitor's delight. Fortunately, neither that nor Lightyear's subsequent failure didn't scare away Elemental from theaters. But the latter film's underwhelming opening weekend isn't comforting. I think the advertising made it look like every romantic comedy ever. I also think it's a lot better than that summation.

What we have is a world where everyone is either made of Fire, Water, Earth or Air. The "Firish" couple Bernie and Cinder Lumen (Ronnie del Carmen and Shila Omni) are among the first emigrees to Element City's Firetown community. They set up the Fireplace, a bodega that Bernie aims to bestow their daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) once he retires. Ember's literally explosive temper makes it difficult for her to handle large crowds. One such outburst breaks a pipe and out comes literal water inspector Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie). 

Ember tries to stop him from getting the Fireplace shut down for its faulty plumbing. Fortunately, Wade is a sentimental goof who lets her plead her case to his superior, Gale Cumulus (Wendi McLendon-Covey). She gives them a tight deadline to fix the issue. The two soon fall for each other despite their elemental differences. Wade's family is cool with it, but Ember's parents need convincing. They have a bigger problem as a busted dam threatens to extinguish Firetown.

The only time Elemental's "every romantic comedy ever" template irked me was the second-act fallout. Let me set the scene. Ember and Wade share a romantic moment in the flooded exhibit of the splendorous Vivisteria tree. They find out that they can mix, after all. Suddenly, Ember decides it can't work at all. Her "it can never be" speeches irked me because they were fundamentally standard. What gives?

What makes it better than "every romantic comedy ever" is the cast. Ember's insecurities are quite understandable, whether it's with struggling to uphold her father's expectations or dealing with unbearably stupid customers. Wade's sentimental personality makes him far more endearing than unbearable. They're quite likable as a couple and you'll feel it during the actionized climax. Gale's hidden depths beyond hardnosed bureaucrat are delightful. She makes the aforementioned Vivisteria trip possible with a handy air bubble. Wade's family is as likable as he is. Bernie and Cinder maybe strict, but they are not unreasonable folks. The only character I was ambivalent about was Clod, an earth element boy who crushes on Ember. But overall, there's rarely a dull moment with this likable cast.

It also helps that this is one splendorous romantic comedy. The sprawling metropolis of Element City and the character designs (especially the watercolory Firish ones) are appealing. Ember's glassmaking skills are so alluring that it almost makes me want to try it. You'll marvel as Ember and Wade watch the Vivisteria bloom around them during their trip. The accompanying soundtrack is among the best of Thomas Newman's marvelous score. We also get a few good Elemental gags, including a literal wave at a game of "Air Ball." The Air Ball game itself is fun to watch, too. 

Elemental's advertising maybe underwhelming, but the film isn't. It's so fun watching this elemental cast interact, barring a few moments, that its 109 minutes flew by pretty quickly. I thought it was longer when I went in. It begins with the short Carl's Date, which follow's Up's Carl Frederickson (Ed Asner, in a posthumous role) preparing for his first date in years with Dug the Dog (Bob Peterson) as his wingman. Their chemistry was just as fun and endearing as the feature's main couple. See what I mean when you see it soon.

The Flash

 The Flash maybe the fastest man in the DC universe, but it took forever to get his big movie going. Numerous writers and directors shuffled through the project before Christina Hodson and Andy Muschetti stepped up to bat. It could have been for naught if WB cancelled the film as damage control over star Ezra Miller's highly erratic behavior. I once said that I wanted to see a Flash movie and I got my wish. All in all, it's fine. Let's see why.

Barry Allen (Miller) is The Flash, the self-proclaimed janitor (and not proud of it) of the Justice League. He helps Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman save Gotham from terrorists. He soon discovers he can speed back and forth in time. He uses that new skill to stop his mom, Nora's (Maribel Verdu), murder and his dad, Henry's (Ron Livingston), wrongful conviction for it. That's when everything goes wrong.

He finds himself in another timeline with barely any superheroes. He frantically rushes to put his slacker alternate (Miller, again) through the same lightning strike that empowered him. But that leaves Normal Barry without his superpowers. General Zod (Michael Shannon) shows up to wreck the planet. So, Normal Barry and Other Barry try to get Batman's (now Michael Keaton) help. They team up to spring Superman from a Siberian prison, but instead find Supergirl (Sasha Calle). They have a Justice League. Now what?

Everybody got that?

Let's discuss the elephant in the room: Miller. Normal Barry is a fine protagonist; his frustrations are understandable and his relationship with reporter Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) is charming. It gets psychological when Other Barry enters the scene. One can't help but think about Miller's antics when they see Other Barry go manic. Naturally, Normal Barry tries to reign him in, which leads to a strong argument between them. What makes it work is that Other Barry isn't wrong with his protestations. It's hard to see the seams when the Barrys are together. It's also hard to believe that Miller, and not someone else, plays a third variant, the Dark Flash. The effects there are that good.

What about the other effects? Barry's hyper speed effects are mostly fine. But his saving a whole maternity ward from a collapsing hospital wing is filled with glaringly obvious CGI babies. It doesn't help that the scene is overlong, one of several that push the film to a needless 144 minutes. Barry finding himself in "the Chrono Bowl" is adequately surreal. His climactic battle with Dark Flash is filled with multiverses of CGI-recreated stars. The highlight of that otherwise technically and ethically questionable climax is a nod to the unproduced Superman Lives. Both Batmen, Wonder Woman and Supergirl have the best associated effects.

Now for the co-stars. Shannon's Zod is an adequate bad guy. Verdu and Livingston are quite sympathetic as Nora and Henry. Nora and Barry's last scene together is quite moving. You'll feel for Henry when he calls Barry at the start. Calle makes the most of her sadly limited screentime as Supergirl. Her rage is palpable when she learns what Zod did to her universe's Kal-El. Clemons is quite likable as Iris, though she also suffers from a lack of screentime. It's fun to see Keaton's Batman do his thing in and out of costume. His spaghetti metaphors for the multiverse are weirdly amusing. The film saves a few more cameos as punchlines.

The Flash's tone zips as fast as its hero. It's sometimes thrilling, sometimes goofy, sometimes farcical and sometimes moving; its climax is depressing. The finale is a bit exhausting despite the moving last scene with Nora and Barry. It could have lost twenty minutes and not miss much plot. But a few parts worked really well here. I wouldn't blame you if you chose to sit this one out to protest its star's misconduct. Still, you can imagine supporting anyone else credited (including Barry's creators, Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher) if you see it. It would sure make a weird double-feature with Across the Spider-Verse, especially with their views of adhering to canon.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Orson Welles voiced the monstrous planet-eating Unicron in The Transformers: The Movie within a week of his death in 1985. Michael Bay tried to set up Unicron at the end of Transformers: The Last Knight before his continuity was rebooted with Bumblebee. Unicron officially debuts in live-action with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, directed by Steven Caple, Jr (Creed II), where he's voiced by Colman Domingo. The new film also brings along characters from the popular Beast Wars toys and cartoon. Let's see how it is.

Unicron opens the movie by eating the home world of the Maximals, Transformers with giant cyborg animal modes. Unicron wants their Transwarp Key, a MacGuffin that can let him go anywhere in the universe, but a few Maximals escape with it. Things don't pick up for Unicron until 1994. That's when museum intern Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) accidentally uncovers part of the key. Unicron's heralds, the Terrorcons, come looking for the key.

Meanwhile, electronics wiz Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is roped into carjacking a seemingly abandoned Porsche. That Porsche is actually the Autobot Mirage (Pete Davidson), whose leader, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), sees the key as their way home. Noah would rather destroy it than let it fall into Terrorcon leader Scourge's (Peter Dinklage) hands. The Autobots join the surviving Maximals, including leader Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) and Air Razor (Michelle Yeoh), in securing the other key part. It all leads to a titanic fight.

The film's five writers make the seemingly convoluted plot coherent. We get a strong prologue that easily introduces us to the new factions. We understand who the Maximals are even if we don't get the cyborg animal modes. In fact, you'll understand them even if you've never watched Beast Wars. It quickly introduces us to Noah and Elena's stories. Noah struggles to find a job to support his family, while Elena tries to put up with her vapid boss Jillian (Sarah Stiles). We sympathize with them before they're drawn into extraterrestrial affairs. The climax sees them rush to shut down the Transwarp Key while the Transformers brawl. It's a tense scene, especially when Scourge goes after them. On a lighter note, Mirage's refusal to let Noah carjack him leads to an awkward yet exciting car chase. 

The Transformers are also strong characters. Optimus Prime's dilemma with the key is compelling. Optimus Primal and Air Razor are also compelling, but the two other Maximals, Cheetor and Rhinox, are just there. Mirage and the returning Bumblebee are likable comic relief. Scourge and Unicron are perfectly villainous thanks to some excellent voice work from Dinklage and Domingo. A few highlights from the supporting robots include Michaela Jae Rodriguez as Terrorcon Nightbird and John DiMaggio as Autobot Stratosphere.

What's new about the technicals? Mirage gets a good gag toggling through several car modes. Unicron's drones are perfectly creepy. The Maximals' animal modes are impressive creatures. Their climactic robot modes are cool as long as the camera lets us see them for longer than a few seconds. The most we see Cheetor and Rhinox is a few seconds in several sweeping shots. Still, cinematographer Enrique Chediak gives us some astounding panoramic shots of Peru and within Unicron himself. The aforementioned car chase is among the best of editors William Goldenberg and Joel Negron's work. They also balance Elena and Noah's stories rather well. Let's not forget composer Jongnic Bontemps; his score for the prologue perfectly sells us on Unicron and the Terrorcons' threats.

Rise of the Beasts moves along rather well during its 127 minutes. We're not swamped with exposition despite the major new characters coming in. We only feel the weight of its runtime at the climax. We get a compelling cast of human and robot characters to lead the way. The end gives us and Noah a major surprise. Let's hope it pays off later.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

April 2022: Hopefully, Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse (Part 1) will satisfy your need for anything Spidey related this fall.

It didn't.

Sony's latest animated Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, skipped last fall and landed now. The intended Part Two is now Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Let's see how this installment is.

Into The Spider-Verse ended with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) taking up the mantle of Spider-Man. It also ended with a stinger starring another Spidey variant, Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). This time, Miguel has gathered all Spideys across the multiverse into the Spider-Society. Their job is to protect the multiverse from anomalies and make sure things stay in canon. It's the end of a universe if specific events don't play out like they should (i.e. Uncle Ben dying).

Miles is drawn into the Spider-Society by Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld). It's a trying time for Miles. His parents, Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry) and Rio (Luna Lauren Velez) keep grounding him. A lowly scientist from the last film is now a multiversal abomination called The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). Miguel also hates Miles for being an anomaly. Miles eventually learns that Jefferson, soon to be promoted Police Captain, is scheduled to die in a "canon event." He's not going to let that happen. 

Even if it takes another movie for him to do it. Yes, true believers, we have a cliffhanger. It's such a doozy that Beyond the Spider-Verse's expected March release seems like an eternity now.

Gwen and Miles share the main character status with aplomb. She starts the movie fighting a dimensionally misplaced Vulture (Jorma Taccone) with Miguel and Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae). She's forced to unmask in front of her cop dad, George (Shea Whigham), who still wants to arrest her. She soon spends the movie beholden to canon until Miles rebels against Miguel. She soon reconciles with her dad in a moving scene. Miles's double-life is as hilarious as it is relatable. Simply carrying cakes across town leads him to taxi trouble and a supervillain, among other things. We're on his side when he learns of his dad's upcoming demise. He fights through numerous Spideys (including a cowboy, a t-rex and a cat) to escape in spectacular fashion. And then that ending.

This film is as visually busy as the first film. The comic book style gags are as plentiful as Spideys on-screen. All of them, including Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), Ben Reily the Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg) and even Lego Spidey, are rendered perfectly in their original art forms. Just try to keep track of them when they all come after Miles in the end. A few highlights of the production design include Mumbattan, home to Spider-Man India (Karan Soni) and Nueva York, home to the Spider-Society. These animated sets look even better the closer you are to the screen. It's been reported that there's been a problem with the sound mix on a few screenings. It wasn't that big an issue for me. The dialogue and Daniel Pemberton's score were quite discernable amidst the visual madness.

And how can I forget the villains? The Spot is quite hilarious and pitiful with his villainous incompetence. He knows he's a loser and wants to better himself as a villain. He gets more unnerving the better he becomes with his powers. He finally becomes a full-on vengeful abomination just before the film ends. Miguel is basically the film's other villain. He has a sympathetic reason for adhering to canon. But his harsh methods and shortsightedness perfectly test our sympathy. He truly turns scary when Miles and Gwen defy him. That only amps up the tension the cliffhanger leaves us.

As said before, Beyond the Spider-Verse is supposed to come out next March. But there are reports a delay maybe imminent. To say that would be a disappointment is an understatement. That's because Across the Spider-Verse is as technically and narratively proficient as its predecessor. It's 140 minutes long and it leaves us wanting more. That cliffhanger really helps. On the other hand, a delay maybe worth it if it results in an equally spectacular film. I'm ready when it lands. Are you?