Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

 

It isn't often you have two movies dealing with the idea of a multiverse playing in theaters at the same time.  But, if you can only see one this week, I'm going to suggest you check out Everything Everywhere All at Once, rather than the big blockbuster playing now.  As I haven't seen the new Doctor Strange movie yet, I can't compare the two films.  But I don't think the latest offering from the MCU will be as jaw dropping fun and crazy as this offering from A24.  And that's saying a lot, as Marvel brought Sam Raimi back to superhero films.

The film stars Michelle Yeoh (Police Story 3, The Heroic Trio) as Evelyn, a Chinese-American running a laundromat with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan, The Goonies, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).  Life hasn't been kind to Evelyn, aside from dealing with her customers.  Waymond is filing for divorce, her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is trying to get her to accept her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel, The Carnivores), and her disapproving father Gong Gong (James Hong, Big Trouble in Little China and so damn deserving of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) is arriving for a visit.  Adding to her problems in an IRS audit with a disagreeable Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween).  But all those issues pale in comparison when Waymond is taken over by a version from another dimension, claiming Evelyn is the only one who can same the multiverse from the threat of Jobu Tupaki.

Of course, mayhem ensues.

Thankfully, Michelle Yeoh is on it!

Okay, I'll be honest.  If you've seen enough movies, you'll know who the big threat is within a half hour, and have a pretty good idea of how the film wraps up.  But it's not the journey, but the destination, where this film excels.  It's a glorious mashup of martial arts mayhem, insane gags and some surprisingly sweet moments that makes you forget the faults of the script. The Daniels (writers/directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) deliver some amazing fight scenes laced with laugh out loud moments.  It's brilliant filmmaking, even when the predictable story takes center stage.  I was laughing, cheering and applauding for most of the running time, even when I needed to use the restroom.   I couldn't tear myself away long enough to go to the bathroom during the final act.  And no, I held it.  Get your mind out of the gutter.

The cast is wonderful and, thankfully, play it straight no matter how insane the action gets.  And believe me, things get wonderfully wacky.  Yeoh is amazing, both in the more emotional moments and the fight scenes, providing a depth to her character I didn't expect.  Quan is equally good, playing between his two versions seamlessly.  And I'm amazed how well Curtis keeps up with the martial arts mayhem.  I guess all those years battling Michael paid off.

Don't let her physique fool you.  She's got some move in this movie that would take Michael out!

This might be a short review, but I don't want to spoil anyone's enjoyment.  You need to go into this movie knowing as little as possible.  If I wrote too much, it would be like watching Airplane after someone told you all the jokes.  Don't worry if you've seen the trailer, it doesn't matter.  Just get to your local theater, strap into your seat and get ready for the best movie of 2022.  Yeah, I'm calling it here.  Because I don't care how much the other critics rave about the new Top Gun film.  If it ain't got hotdog fingers, it's got nothing.

Yep, hotdog fingers.  If that doesn't get you to watch this film, you have to get out more.