I'm a bit surprised by how universal the praise is for this movie, and I say that as someone who enjoyed it quite a bit myself. It just strikes me as a film that would be a bit more divisive, as it feels like an unconventional amalgamation of genres that don't always have overlapping audiences. It is simultaneously an arthouse film, a kung fu film, a sci-fi film, and a family drama, with some slapstick-esque comedy thrown in for good measure (although that element could be lumped in with kung fu films, i.e. the comedy in old school Jackie Chan films). In any case, it seems modern audiences are more accepting of the experimental than I give them credit for.
All of that said, the film has a lot going for it, so maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. The biggest strength here is the acting. Without downplaying the performance of Michelle Yeoh, who was excellent, I was actually most impressed with Ke Huy Quan, whose seamless transition between the meek, thoughtful Waymond and the badass, kung fu, Alpha Waymond was consistently impressive and fun. Beyond the acting, the movie also benefits from the raw creativity that the premise injects. This creativity is at its best during the brief snippets of strange alternate universes and the clever action sequences. It also doesn't hurt that the action is very well shot. These days it's just nice to see action scenes that don't feel like a CGI fest.
Of course, with extreme creativity, there is always the risk of leaning too heavily on the quirky/weird. It's a very fine line to walk, and undoubtedly a subjective one. While I think this film generally stays on the right side of that line, there were still certain elements that didn't work for me, particularly with the "jump pad" gimmick where the characters need to do something incredibly random in order to leverage the skills of their alternate selves. Using randomness as a proxy for humor is a dangerous game. I also could have done without the hotdog finger universe.
Beneath all of the quirky, multiverse-spanning antics, the movie effectively explores Evelyn's relationships with her daughter and her husband, as well as with her own ambitions. While some of this exploration is a bit on the nose, the stellar acting and creative backdrop are enough to smooth over any such bumps. The weaving of strange alternate universes to help guide Evelyn to the realizations she needed leads to multiple heartstring tugging moments and memorably poignant dialogue.
Review by SkinnyFilmBuffVIP 8BlockedParent2022-05-29T18:47:18Z
I'm a bit surprised by how universal the praise is for this movie, and I say that as someone who enjoyed it quite a bit myself. It just strikes me as a film that would be a bit more divisive, as it feels like an unconventional amalgamation of genres that don't always have overlapping audiences. It is simultaneously an arthouse film, a kung fu film, a sci-fi film, and a family drama, with some slapstick-esque comedy thrown in for good measure (although that element could be lumped in with kung fu films, i.e. the comedy in old school Jackie Chan films). In any case, it seems modern audiences are more accepting of the experimental than I give them credit for.
All of that said, the film has a lot going for it, so maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. The biggest strength here is the acting. Without downplaying the performance of Michelle Yeoh, who was excellent, I was actually most impressed with Ke Huy Quan, whose seamless transition between the meek, thoughtful Waymond and the badass, kung fu, Alpha Waymond was consistently impressive and fun. Beyond the acting, the movie also benefits from the raw creativity that the premise injects. This creativity is at its best during the brief snippets of strange alternate universes and the clever action sequences. It also doesn't hurt that the action is very well shot. These days it's just nice to see action scenes that don't feel like a CGI fest.
Of course, with extreme creativity, there is always the risk of leaning too heavily on the quirky/weird. It's a very fine line to walk, and undoubtedly a subjective one. While I think this film generally stays on the right side of that line, there were still certain elements that didn't work for me, particularly with the "jump pad" gimmick where the characters need to do something incredibly random in order to leverage the skills of their alternate selves. Using randomness as a proxy for humor is a dangerous game. I also could have done without the hotdog finger universe.
Beneath all of the quirky, multiverse-spanning antics, the movie effectively explores Evelyn's relationships with her daughter and her husband, as well as with her own ambitions. While some of this exploration is a bit on the nose, the stellar acting and creative backdrop are enough to smooth over any such bumps. The weaving of strange alternate universes to help guide Evelyn to the realizations she needed leads to multiple heartstring tugging moments and memorably poignant dialogue.