Quick Takes: Elemental and Asteroid City
My writing and posting schedule has been out of wack because of the school year, so to help myself get back on track, I present the return of Quick Takes.
Elemental
In a world where Air, Earth, Water, and Fire are anthropomorphized, Wade (Mamoudou Athie) and Ember (Leah Lewis) must work together to help save Ember's family business.
This movie has a lot going for it, but I didn't find the story particularly engaging. Visually it is stunning. The way fire and water are animated is beautiful. No one can match Pixar when it comes to the quality of the animation. The strongest part of the story is the immigrant story of Ember and her family. They arrive in a city that is not built for fire and are feared. They want to start a life, and it is not easy. It is one of the most compelling parts of the story and makes the movie better.
7/10
Rated PG for some peril, thematic elements, and brief language
1h 41m
Asteroid City
Asteroid City follows a writer and the play he is working on about a father and his kids who, following an unexplained event, are trapped in a small desert town.
Director Wes Anderson has a very particular style; if you like that style, you will like this movie. His characters speak quickly with almost no emotion. The colors are bright, and the story is full of quirky characters. "Asteroid City" is not one of Anderson's best movies but it is still excellent. It might be one of the most Wes Anderson movies he has made, so I am hesitant to tell people to run out and see it. It is not as easily accessible as "The Grand Budapest Hotel" or "Moonrise Kingdom" (two movies I love, by the way). If you don't know Anderson watch those two first and see how you feel before jumping into "Asteroid City."
8/10
Rated PG-13 for brief graphic nudity, smoking, and some suggestive material.
1h. 45m.