Yes, Scarlett, this is what I looked like while watching most of this movie.

Review by Ken Carman

How bad can a movie be? To be honest the CONCEPT behind Asteroid City was good, the actors (for what little acting they did, as I will explain) were fine, even good to great… considering how hard this must have been for them… it just that the final product does not work that well, IMO. From the start I realized this was like acting classes and acting coaches I have had. And it was a dry run; a rather bad one.

I’m sure that was the intent. How else do you get Tom Hanks and William Defoe on the same set and have their performances be so dry and lacking character? Scarlett Johansson being the exception because almost every role I have seen her in IS expressionless and intentionally so. How else do you play characters like Androids? Love to see a comedy bit between her and Brent Spiner out android-ing each other. (“No, no, more like THIS!”)

The cut between black and white, setting the scene for this play based on a fictional village, and the in color scenes were jarring and really hard to understand what was going on at first.

The worst thing about Asteroid City is the actual story GOES NOWHERE. What’s the point? Where’s the drama? Where’s the humor, other than a rare few light chuckles for the absurdity of some of the dialogue?

Cinematography excellent, nothing wrong there. The colors worth it: so bright, so 50’s-ish. The sound good. The acting? Must have been difficult guys and gals. The rest? BLAH! The best thing about it was THE ROADRUNNER, especially at the end. Watch him as the credits roll. Only then did I really started laughing. Not so much before. I longed for an occasional appearance from a coyote just to add SOME humor.

And the ads made it look so damn good!

I suggest wait until it comes on TV, if you must watch it. Big screen nice but not necessary, despite the fabulous colors.

I can only give it two out of five, and the second one is mostly for the road runner.

Welcome to Our End of the New movie reviews. One poster: don’t bother. Two posters: eh, OK, but a lot of problems here. Three: Good movie, just at least one problem. Four: very good. Five: if you don’t go you’re missing out. Added comments at the end: “you could wait for it to come on TV,” “best seen on the big screen” and “good for all screens,” unless other comments are added, refer mainly to the nature of the movie such as special effects, incredible sound or scenery that might make it best seen in a movie theater depending on your set up at home.