Asteroid City

 

      Highly stylized and rather self-indulgent, this new Wes Anderson film is strictly for his fans. The casual film goer may be lured in by the extensive big name cast but will most likely find the film very weird.

     When a film has such an extensive cast, many of whom are Anderson regulars, it will, unfortunately find many of them lacking in character development. This will result in many brief cameos, and such is the case here.

     The lead actors with the most fully realized characters are Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Brayan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, and Edward Norton. There are lest least 14 other recognizable stars in the minor roles.

     An audience may find themselves either put off or very intrigued by the structure of the film. What starts as a TV documentary about a play, then turns into a filmed version of the play but often cuts back and forth between versions. Anderson uses a bright palate of color to represent the film and black and white to represent the play. Actors play characters who play characters.

     The story, on the surface, is about a group of Junior Stargazers who come together at Asteroid City, a very, very small town in the desert to celebrate their scientific achievements, 

     Mr. Anderson, who wrote and directed the film, incorporates humor and drama in equal parts with a fine eye for detail. Nevertheless, there are puzzling elements that seem to have no rhyme or reason. It's a fun, whimsical, yet strange journey.

The Flash

 

 All of the recent DC superhero movies, this is by far, the most fun, thanks to a clever script and duo acting by star Ezra Miller.

 Mr. Miller stars as Barry Allen aka The Flash, fastest man on earth. Without revealing too much, his super speed puts him in an alternative timeline where he exists with a younger version of himself. The two must work together, with surprising help, to repair the time line and get Barry back to his own time.

 The interaction between the two is very funny at times and makes for much of the film's humor. Besides the humor, there is plenty of action and while the CGI can be excellent at times, it can also be sloppy as well (especially in the third act).

 There are some sequences that make great use of Barry's speed, slowing down everything else around him. But at other times, the CGI, especially in the battle scenes look just like a poorly done videogame. It seems director Andy Muschietti had his team save the best for the most significant CGI scenes and skimped on the less important ones.

 The film co-stars Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingstone as Henry Allen (Barry's father), Maribel Verdu as Nora Allen (Barry's mother), Keirsey Clemons as Iris West, and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman (in Barry's normal timeline). Michael Keaton plays a significant role and there other a few other surprise stars as well.

It's always a problem when you play with timelines in superhero movies. Paradoxes and contradictions abound and I'm sure there will be debate over how things turn out in the end. The fun here though is in the journey, not the destination and there is plenty to enjoy.

There is a post credits scene and while fun, it doesn't add anything significant to the story (present or future). And I would also recommend seeing the film in IMAX as it looks (for the most part) and sounds great.

    

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

 

   The animated sequel to "Into the Spider-Verse" finds Miles Morales, drawn (no pun intended) once again into the Spider-Verse by Gwen Stacy aka Spider-Girl.

    This is a wild ride strictly for fans. You will be as lost as Miles becomes if you are not familiar with this world or mythology. If you are a fan, you have been anxiously awaiting this sequel and will not be disappointed.

    The animation is terrific, mixing many different styles to create a psychedelic ride through this multi-verse of Spider-characters. There are inside jokes and references to the comics throughout the film. The vocal work of it's cast is excellent matching their characters perfectly.

    Shameik Moore is Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld is Gwen Stacy, Brian Tyree Henry is Miles's dad, Luna Lauren Velez is his mom, Kae Johnson is Peter Parker, Jason Schwartzman is "The Spot", Issa Rae is Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya is Hobie (a British punk version of Spider-Man), and Oscar Isaac is Miguel O'Hara, Spider-Man 2099.  

     Fair warning, this is the middle film in a planned trilogy and ends "to be continued". This seems to be the new Hollywood trend as we've already seen "Fast X" to be continued and the upcoming "Mission Impossible" has Part One right in it's title.

     

  

The Boogeyman

  

  Based on a short story by Stephen King, it took three people to write the screenplay and while they try their best, they fail to bring the horror.

  When an evil spirit is released in their home, it's up to a family to battle the creature before it can claim more victims. The film stars Chris Messina as the widowed therapist with two daughters. Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair play his daughters. The film also co-stars LisaGay Hamilton, Marin Ireland, and David Dastmalchian.

  Director Rob Savage does an admirable job creating the spooky atmosphere, creepy score and  has a committed cast but ultimately produces a generic horror film filled with stereotypical elements that lack true horror.