You were expecting Indiana Jones here, weren’t you? So was I. Here’s the truth of the matter. I saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on Thursday (6/29/2023) and I need to see it again to give it a fair rating. Without spoil anything I was pretty shocked and frustrated by it. I would probably give it a half star out of 5 and I’ve never given a film low of a rating. However, cooler heads always prevail. SO, I will be seeing it again, and getting into the reviewer mindset you will get a fair rating/review next week.

For this week, we pivoted and are reviewing a film I just watched called Asteroid City. If you’re a fan of films you’ll know the name Wes Anderson (the director) he has a quirky, dry sense of humor and his films usually are full of dead-pan humor. Think “The Office” not slap-stick funny, but clever. I went into the film haven seen the trailer and thought the cinematography was eye-catching. I was intrigued.

I won’t dive much into the plot, but you can see from the cast list. This cast is IMMPRESIVE. I honestly enjoyed Tom Hanks the best, as the leads’ father-in-law but I was truly impressed with the whole cast. Each character plays a role, and some more than one and it fits perfectly like a brand-new puzzle.

We essentially have a film, about a play and it weaves from the actual performance of “Asteroid City” and then back to rehearsals, writing, inspirations, there’s even an alien.

Here’s what works:

The cinematography as I expected was eye-catching. It was pleasing to look at. You had a retro feel (Set in the 50s) but then modern during the behind-the-scenes moments. The town of asteroid city has an old west feel but the décor and costumes. Continue with a retro vibe. The allows the viewer to be interested in what’s to come next.

The script was OUTSTANDING. To be able to view a “play” the production of said “play” and the moments of humor was something I did not expect but appreciated.

The cast as I said before wonderful. Perfect casting, the cameos were nice. The kids were hilarious. I liked this story.

The only thing for me that didn’t work is the runtime. At 105 minutes it still felt long. Some of the scenes could have been tightened up but overall, it didn’t ruin it.

Ok, no heartfelt messages today. If you’re a fan of the cast, or director go see this film. 4 stars out of 5

Next week……we see meet our old friend Indy. Have a Happy 4th