‘MI:7’ Is Stunt Spectacular, Thorny Mission on Cruise Control

‘MI:7’ Is Stunt Spectacular, Thorny Mission on Cruise Control

By Lynn Venhaus

One thing about Tom Cruise: Love him or hate him, he is a consummate entertainer. And let’s face it, we’re sucked into Cruise’s World nearly every time he headlines an adventure trying to save the world.

If there is peril, he shows up. He knows how to throw himself to a rip-roaring yarn, as he has proven time and again. In yet another bold, brash move as Ethan Hunt, he pushed himself with death-defying stunts that are among the most dazzling in movie history in this seventh one, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.”

His Impossible Missions Force team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins.

Now 61, Cruise was 57 when filming initially started, so give him credit for stretching himself physically, a remarkable feat. For a glimpse of the risky business — Exhibit 1: Motorcycle stunt on the edge of a cliff. My jaw dropped and my stomach flip-flopped when he freefalls.

That might not top the helicopter chase in “Fallout” (MI:6), also filmed by now head cinematographer Fraser Taggart, but it’s a dandy and among several terrifying set pieces including an extensive pulse-pounding pursuit through the streets of Rome and fights on aboard and on top of a speeding train (and not just any train, but THE Orient Express).

While not as emotionally impactful as Cruise’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” last year’s sequel to a 1986 film that proved to be more successful than anyone thought – I mean, 36 years later? — “MI 7” played to his strengths.

Because he exceeded expectations for making the 2022 top-grossing film of the year ($718,732,821, to be exact), and was an Oscar nominee for Best Picture, there is a great deal of current goodwill. Some said he “saved Hollywood” by getting people into theaters post-pandemic. Let’s see if he repeats.

MI7 produces the thrills that define a crowd-pleasing blockbuster, but not the chills, and perhaps still will be a summer success after a few other tentpoles sputtered.

There is a sense of comfort in nostalgia. Like John Williams’ rousing Indiana Jones score, composer Lorne Balfe uses variations of Lalo Shifrin’s iconic TV series theme song to punctuate the action.

As with Harrison Ford returning as Indy, Cruise settles into another beloved familiar character, fearless American secret agent Ethan Hunt. Based on the Emmy-winning TV show (1966-1973) formula created by Bruce Geller, this covert Impossible Missions Force spans the globe fighting international terrorists in sophisticated ways.

After 27 years, we expect elaborate action and increasingly complicated high-tech plots. The first feature film directed by Brian De Palma was successful in 1996, its sequel stumbled in 2000 directed by John Woo, came back super-charged by director J.J. Abrams with Philip Seymour Hoffmann as a cunning villain in 2006, was even better in director Brad Bird’s “Ghost Protocol” in 2011, followed by what some say are the best ones in Christopher McQuarrie’s “Rogue Nation” in 2015 and “Fallout” in 2018. Now we have a long, dense follow-up in “Dead Reckoning,” a first part that is 2 hours and 43 minutes.

Hayley Atwell is the slippery Grace, Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt, world savior.

McQuarrie, who directed and co-wrote the script with Erik Jendresen, has been a consistent collaborator with Cruise during the 21st century. They first worked together on “Valkyrie” in 2008, followed by “Jack Reacher,” which he directed, and “Edge of Tomorrow.” That led to writing and directing the fifth and sixth ones, the first repeat director.

McQuarrie won the Oscar for his original screenplay “The Usual Suspects” in 1995 and was nominated last year for the adapted screenplay of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

The man who created Keyser Soze knows his way around criminal masterminds, but there’s a less than compelling one in sinister Gabriel, played by Esai Morales. He somehow is connected to the evil algorithm “The Entity,” which is so advanced it manipulates reality and the truth to cause endless chaos.

The menace is never-ending, although the enigmatic plot is dull. However, four interesting actresses shine in strong-willed roles: Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and Vanessa Kirby, while Rebecca Ferguson returns for round three as MI6 operative Ilsa Faust.

Even with his energy and intensity, Cruise needs strong support, which he gets from the unsung heroes Simon Pegg as tech turned field agent Benji Dunn and Ving Rhames as wingman Luther Stickell.

Foe-turned-frenemy Atwell distinguishes herself as the slippery Grace. Since 2011, she has played beloved Peggy Carter, Captain America’s one true love, in all things Avenger-related in the Marvel universe (TV and film).

 Oscar-nominated Kirby returns as the mysterious White Widow from “Fallout,” still sketchy, and a ferocious Klementieff, Mantis in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, is cold-blooded assassin Paris.

It’s a stacked cast. Cary Elwes is CIA’s Denlinger and Henry Czerny, from the first movie,  is back as Kittredge, while Shea Wigham and Greg Tarzan Davis are agents Briggs and Degas hot on the trail.

Czerny, with his ace delivery, has the best line: “Your days of fighting for the so-called greater good are over. This is our chance to control the truth. The concepts of right and wrong for everyone for centuries to come. You’re fighting to save an ideal that doesn’t exist. Never did. You need to pick a side.”

It’s a very different global playing field from when they first launched the feature film. They’ve all been high-octane state-of-the-art thrillers, but this one is hyper-speed. Stunts aside, their mission has always been against shadowy figures hell-bent on ruthless power. Noble, sure, but do we care?

My main beef is that it’s not so much a nail-biter as it is an exercise in endurance. The mumbo-jumbo about “The Entity” gets ridiculous.

Yet, the adrenaline rush takes over viewing. Think of it as a summer sojourn to Cruise World. We are all pulled into his orbit. We’ll see what he’s up to next June, as no. 8 is set for June 28, 2024.

“Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I” is a 2023 action-adventure directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Cary Elwes, Henry Czerny. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material .and runs 2 hours and 43 minutes. It opens in theaters on July 12. Lynn’s Grade: B-.

Unforgettable Action Sequences Elevate Solid ‘Mission: Impossible’ 7

Unforgettable Action Sequences Elevate Solid ‘Mission: Impossible’ 7

By Alex McPherson

Featuring incredible stunts, timely themes, and an engaging, though imperfect balance between goofiness and sincerity, director Christopher McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” is a reliably fun action-espionage blockbuster, if occasionally weighed down by inelegant plotting.

“Dead Reckoning,” the seventh installment in the “Mission” series, follows rebellious daredevil Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his loyal, idiosyncratic Impossible Mission Force comrades Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and love interest Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), as they embark on yet another death-defying mission to save humanity from itself.

They’re after two halves of a key that could allow them to destroy a rogue artificial-intelligence algorithm generically called “The Entity,” which has the power to upend civilization as we know it. Any and all global powers (including the CIA, led by Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, previously featured in the first “Mission” film) want to harness it for their own militaristic ends.

Despite its eye-rolling name, The Entity is an eerily prescient antagonist for Ethan and company to square off against — essentially the ultimate spy, able to infiltrate our always-online existence to control the nature of truth itself, plus, most likely, all the world’s weapons. Nowhere is safe from the Entity’s grasp.

The team’s plans are complicated with the unexpected arrival of courageous thief Grace (Hayley Atwell), walking a thin tightrope between friend and foe, who must eventually join sides with Ethan, along with the Entity’s human envoy, Gabriel (Esai Morales), a villainous ghost from Ethan’s past that contributed to him joining the Impossible Missions Force in the first place.

Also joining the fray is the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby, both seductive and goofy) from “Fallout,” and two frustrated U.S. agents always one step behind (Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis), who might or might not eventually shift their morals.

As the team embarks on a globe-trotting adventure in locales such as Rome and Norway, everyone is put to the test, and Ethan must reckon with saving those he loves over succeeding in his goals, all the while dealing with an unpredictable adversary that can seemingly predict his every move and turn his own gadgets against him. It can’t quite account for human ingenuity, or Ethan’s/Cruise’s unwavering commitment to putting themselves at risk for viewers’ entertainment.

Indeed, “Dead Reckoning” is, at times, a glorious spectacle — the practical stunt work on display puts the recent “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” to shame. With McQuarrie’s energetic direction and solid performances across the board, from Cruise especially, the latest “Mission” film delivers on the action front, though the twisty narrative lacks the visceral punch of the thunderously memorable set pieces.

And lordy, are those sequences invigorating to behold — filmed with a clarity by cinematographer Fraser Taggart that lets all the practical stunt work shine; largely eschewing CGI to forefront athleticism, which lends a (relatively speaking) grounded feel to the proceedings.

Lorne Balfe’s blaring score adds additional oomph. The much-publicized motorcycle-to-base-jump off the steep Norwegian mountainside is suitably spectacular, but a frantic chase through Rome — with Ethan and Grace handcuffed to each other driving a Fiat while being pursued by authorities and a sadistic killer named Paris (a scene-stealing Pom Klementieff) — is possibly the standout set-piece: full of bombastic slapstick comedy and split-second decision making that feels dangerous and thrilling. 

And the train showdown, holy moly, does not disappoint in the slightest, featuring edge-of-your-seat filmmaking that consistently ups the ante moment-to-moment as gravity begs to differ. Add to that a considerable helping of bone-crunching hand-to-hand combat (one brawl taking place in a narrow alley), and all the gratuitous running from Cruise we’ve come to expect, “Dead Reckoning” is worth watching for these scenes alone, bolstered by the cast’s commitment to this self-aware, somewhat messy tech-paranoia plot.

Hayley Atwell, Tom Cruise

Cruise continues to shine as Hunt, an ”agent of chaos” (as one character calls him) who’s willing to throw himself into danger for the greater good, but being forced to make impossible decisions to protect his friends and loved ones. Cruise’s portrayal lacks the emotional weight of his efforts in last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” but he still excels, nimbly navigating the film’s ludicrous plot developments and comedic relief with comforting self-awareness.

Pegg and Rhames provide equal parts comedic relief and pathos (grappling with the Entity’s manipulation of their advanced technology, such as the Entity impersonating their voices), while feeling underused and relegated to the background for most of the runtime. Ferguson is badass as always, as is Atwell, who lends spunk to her character of Grace and has palpable chemistry with Cruise. Grace takes on a pretty standard backstory/arc, yet is always fun to watch thanks to Atwell’s energy and inherent likability.

Morales is solid but unmemorable as the Entity’s henchman (even though McQuarrie tries his darndest to make us care from some rushed flashback revelations), and Klementieff deserves more screen time as a scarily ruthless assassin. The ensemble is always enjoyable — fully committed to the screenplay’s occasionally screwball rhythms — when all we’re really waiting for is the next harrowing spectacle to unfold. 

“Dead Reckoning” isn’t an all-out action film, however, and McQuarrie’s just as focused on the espionage narrative, which can’t live up in comparison, and lacks the creativity of the set pieces. The Entity is certainly a timely antagonist, but it remains difficult to care about much in the “Mission” universe because of the screenplay’s need to over-explain and “tell rather than show” regarding its capabilities, barring a couple memorable situations.

Although the film’s exposition-dumping approach is a staple of the genre, it lacks much emotional impact; the frequent flashbacks similarly try (and only half-heartedly succeed) to churn up investment, and the film’s constant forward momentum leaves little time for reflection, or opportunities to meaningfully dig into the psyches of its characters — even with a nearly three-hour runtime. 

To the screenplay’s credit, in a meta-textual sense, Cruise has also been a fierce defender of the cinematic experience, so Hunt’s battle against an evil algorithm could extend to Cruise’s own defense of practical stunts, the “theater experience,” and the increasingly bloated streaming ecosystem. Looking at “Dead Reckoning” from this angle makes the labyrinthine plot a touch more meaningful.

Despite these shortcomings, what really stands out about “Dead Reckoning” is the chutzpah of its creators. By the end of its runtime, it leaves an indelible impression as an achievement in action filmmaking. Regardless of storytelling stumbles, this is a must-watch on the biggest screen you can find — let’s just hope “Part 2” can deliver more on the character front.

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Simon Pegg, from left, Ving Rhames, Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson in “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One.” (Christian Black/Paramount Pictures and Skydance via AP)

“Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I” is a 2023 action-adventure directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise, Haley Atwell, Esai Morales, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Cary Elwes, Henry Czerny. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material .and runs 2 hours and 43 minutes. It opens in theaters on July 12. Alex’s Grade: B+.

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Is A Dazzling, Incomplete Spectacle

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Is A Dazzling, Incomplete Spectacle

By Alex McPherson

An eye-popping feast for the senses whose visual inventiveness can’t compensate for a restrictive middle-chapter narrative, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is consistently engaging but will play best for those already well-versed in Spider-Man lore.

Taking place 16 months after the events of “Into the Spider-Verse,” the film follows the exploits of 15-year-old Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), who struggles to balance his superhero role as Spider-Man with the more traditional responsibilities (i.e., attending classes) expected by his strict yet loving parents, Rio (Luna Lauren Velez) and the soon-to-be-police-chief Jeff (Brian Tyree Henry), who are unaware of his alter ego.

Miles, a rebellious teenager experiencing loneliness and heartbreak from his (literally) “out of this world” spider-people companions, including badass crush Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), feels adrift and unable to fully express himself — yearning for freedom and belonging.

Gwen, in her own dimension, is similarly struggling to find acceptance and meaning; her father, George (Shea Whigham), a police chief, discovers her identity as Spider-Woman and blames her for the death of her timeline’s Peter Parker. After battling a monochromatic variation of The Vulture, Gwen is recruited by a team of Multiverse protectors — including the motorcycle-riding Jessica Drew (Issa Rae) and the brooding Spider-Man 2099, a.k.a. Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) — running from her now-perilous bond with her father. Soon enough, however, she’s called back into Miles’ orbit to tackle a new threat.

A bespeckled, self-deprecating foe named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) shows up in Miles’ reality — brimming with hatred for Miles due to a past wrong that left him covered with holes through which he can teleport across great distances. He’s champing at the bit to become Miles’ “nemesis,” getting stronger by the moment in his fierce desire for revenge. 

Things get even more complicated when Gwen shows up, reigniting her situationship with Miles, and prepares to leave once The Spot teleports elsewhere. Miles ends up following her into an interdimensional portal revealing a whole society of Spider-Beings, including the jovial Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), the unruly, punk rock Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya), seemingly assembled from scraps of paper, and a hulking Spider-Tyrannosaurus, each manifested through different animation styles.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though, as not only has The Spot gained enough power to pose a tangible threat to the Multiverse as they know it, but Miles must continue to fight against fatalistic, predetermined beliefs that restrict his free will on a universe-altering level.

Indeed, “Across the Spider-Verse” certainly has a boatload of information to convey to viewers, and to be honest, some of it soared over my head. This remains the sequel’s greatest flaw: no matter how excellent it looks and how well the talented ensemble brings these characters to life, the film remains ham-strung by a desire to be bigger in the classic sense, leaving its most compelling thread dangling by the end as we wait for the next installment in 2024. 

Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers certainly have a keen sense of spectacle, seamlessly blending art styles together that reflect characters’ specific views of the world and their distinct, variably layered personalities. From a watercolor backdrop melting from mournful blue to hopeful pink with the thawing of emotions, to a brief detour into stop-motion animation straight out of “The Lego Movie,” and frantic action sequences throwing characters of all styles at the screen at once, packing in multitudes of nerd-culture references along the way, “Across the Spider-Verse” is equal parts mesmerizing and fatiguing by the end of its 136-minute runtime, boosted by a thumping, energetic score by Daniel Pemberton and a catchy soundtrack. The passion poured into this project by everyone involved is apparent from start to finish, at least from a presentation standpoint.

“Across the Spider-Verse” still falls prey to sensory overload in its second half, just like its predecessor, but is refreshingly focused on human relationships in its beginning stretch, particularly regarding Miles’ bond with his parents. Moore, Lauren, and Tyree Henry lend real pathos to their roles in these slower sequences, tenderly and believably navigating difficult choices along Miles’ transition into adulthood. Steinfeld is also excellent, particularly in early scenes with her alienated father: vulnerable and courageous, bitter and earnest. Gwen’s not defined by her will-they-won’t-they romance with Miles, but rather by her personal strength to confront her demons and fight for what she believes in.

It’s somewhat disappointing, then, that as Miles and company journey through the Multiverse, encountering bazillions of Spider-Beings, that “Across the Spider-Verse” reverts so frequently to exposition dumps and rushed characterizations that allow little time to be fleshed-out beyond the surface level.

Talk of so-called “canon events” (the expected happenings of each Spider-Man story) are interesting in a meta-textual sense, but the film leaves the concept’s thornier elements dangling, hopefully to be explored down the road, in favor of simplistic messaging. The Spot, too, idiosyncratically brought to life by Schwartzman, is sidelined for most of the second half, a Big Bad seemingly too big for the already overstuffed film to address.

No matter how likable the characters, or thrilling the animation, “Across the Spider-Verse” is unable to break free from the expectations of tradition: a story whose ideas of empowerment and individuality are only broached but not fully delved into, set-up for greater things in the future. Perhaps “Beyond the Spider-Verse” will rectify these qualms, but as it stands, “Across the Spider-Verse” can’t match its breathtaking presentation with equally strong storytelling.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a 2023 animation-fantasy film directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson and starring (voices): Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Luna Loren Valez, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Rachel Dratch, Brian Tyree Henry, Shea Whigham, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, J.K. Simmons, and Mahershala Ali.
It is rated PG for sequences of animated action violence, some language and thematic elements and the runtime is 2 hours and 20 minutes. It opens in theaters on June 2. Alex’s Grade: B

‘Spider-Man’ Leaps Into Second Spider-Verse With Eye-Popping Innovation But Super-Frantic

‘Spider-Man’ Leaps Into Second Spider-Verse With Eye-Popping Innovation But Super-Frantic

By Lynn Venhaus
Pop art, quantum physics and pathos collide in a grand superhero spectacle, resulting in this “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” sequel being a mind-blowing amalgamation of next-level animation like but surpassing the 2018 original.

In this second installment of an animated film trilogy, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) catapults across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.

However inventive and clever it is, though, about half of the storyline is incoherent and panders to fan service — and the sensory-overload-on-steroids style is overwhelming and exhausting. Yet, we’re all locked in.

This 2 hour and 20- minute eye-popping extravaganza takes place across six dimensions, has 240 characters in it and had over 1,000 animators working on it – the most ever.

The Spider-Man mythology, easily relatable for teens who understood creator Stan Lee’s metaphors for figuring out their place in the world, began as a socially inept high school student who was bitten by a radioactive spider, and thus developed superpowers. That was in 1962, and in fighting crime in his subsequent Marvel Comics issues, Peter Parker would eventually learn “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Since 2002, there have been eight live-action Spider-Man movies, plus his role in “The Avengers” franchise, not to mention a past TV series, Broadway musical, video games and books.

The three co-directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson mash parts of the old films with elements of the comic books. That comic imagery, added in with drawing and painting styles of the 20th and 21st centuries, results in a visually stunning work. Art historians will be in for a treat.

And comic book fans will be delirious about the Easter eggs – no doubt courtesy of cheeky producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller who finally won an Oscar for directing the first movie (previously robbed for “The Lego Movie”) but only co-wrote this script with David Callaham, a veteran of the first and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

I understand their desire to throw in as many gags for the super-fans, but that darn muddled narrative lets the rest of us down. And their need to fiddle with the Spider-Man canon to keep it fresh and interesting. Sure, there are compelling human emotional touches (dead relatives, loved ones in peril), but the hyper-kinetic storytelling weakens the overall effect for those ‘not in the zone.’

Another sticking point is that the middle entry in this animated world ends with a cliffhanger, then states Miles will return in “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.” It is set for a March 29, 2024, release — frustrating to viewers who like things resolved before waiting for another one, because this one just ends without a resolution.

And if you did not see “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” released four and a half years ago, you will be lost here. As a quick recap, Miles Morales, a black Hispanic Brooklynite, was juggling his life between being in high school and a Spider-Man, but when Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk uses a super collider, he finds out that others from across the Spider-Verse have been transported to his dimension.

This time, 15-year-old Miles remains on Earth – 42, but as he discovers more multi-verses, he meets dozens of other Spider-People. In this global take, we meet a Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), a cockney street punk Spidey named Hobie (Daniel Kaluuya), a snarling, hulking vampire Spidey Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), and a pregnant Spider-Woman, motorcycle mama Jessica Drew (Issa Rae). Saving the world is tough business, and there are existential crises happening.

Miles’ mentor, Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), is shown as a young father, married to MJ (Zoe Kravitz), who brings his baby along for the adventures. Sad girl Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) is a combo grrrl rocker and a Spider-Girl whose anguished storyline is equal to Miles’.

Spidey and The Spot

While one can applaud the energy and the dazzling visuals of non-stop action, characters are often frazzled, and the pace is so frenetic that you feel like you are trapped in this parallel universe too. Who’s good, who’s evil, and who may be both?

Shameik Moore has returned to voice Miles, and he’s dandy as the angsty teen who is exasperating to his parents because of his time-management skills (they don’t know he’s keeping the bad guys in check, at least in his neighborhood).

His parents are voiced by Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Loren Valdez, joining a slate of major talent whose vocal work is solid but does not immediately identify them. Yet, it’s easy to place J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, SNL’s Rachel Dratch as the principal, and Jason Schwartman as the revenge-seeking villain “The Spot” (a standout).

Hyper and hypnotic, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ” has pushed forward the genre and is a fun fan experience. The propulsive score by composer Daniel Pemberton is also a plus. I give the animation an A+ but the story a B-.

It’s a lot to juggle sci-fi, action, adventure, family, comedy, drama, and fantasy in one animated feature, and this film does display heart, even if the movie can’t stand on its own.

After two decades of superhero comics ruling the bombastic blockbuster box office, what’s next? Has art opened another dimension? One of the Spider-Verse’s greatest strengths is that it still surprises, and these multiverses show no signs of maxing out.

One thing is for certain, the enthusiasm for this head-spinning series is not waning anytime soon (even with the grumbling about waiting for the next sequel). It’s as if we’ve hopped on one of the wildest amusement parks rides ever, and we need to see where it leads.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a 2023 animation-fantasy film directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson and starring (voices): Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Luna Loren Valez, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Rachel Dratch, Brian Tyree Henry, Shea Whigham, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, J.K. Simmons, and Mahershala Ali.
It is rated PG for sequences of animated action violence, some language and thematic elements and the runtime is 2 hours and 20 minutes. It opens in theaters on June 2. Lynn’s Grade: B

This review also appeared in the Webster-Kirkwood Times’ Reel World with Kent Tentschert.