EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (full review at Screen Realm)

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known collectively as Daniels, follow up their previous feature - the strange and bittersweet oddity Swiss Army Man – with the strange and bittersweet oddity Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) runs a laundromat with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) but they are on the brink of divorce. She is rushed off her feet planning a party for father Gong Gong (James Hong) and preparing for an audit at the tax office. On the way to the meeting with the auditor, Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis), Evelyn is approached by Waymond from another dimension, known as Alpha Waymond. 

He reveals the Alpha Dimension possesses technology enabling them access to all other dimensions, and all other possible versions of oneself. This technology, known as Verse Jumping, allows the jumper to absorb the skills and knowledge of their alternate dimension counterpart. Unfortunately, there is an evil Verse Jumper called Jobu Tupaki who is intent on destroying the multiverse and Evelyn is the only one who can stop it. 

Read the full review at Screen Realm:

https://www.screenrealm.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-movie-review/

IMDB: Everything Everywhere All At Once

STAR TREK DISCOVERY SEASON 2 (full review at Screen Realm)

Star Trek Discovery returns for its second season, streaming internationally on Netflix, with fourteen episodes comprising the second season. Unlike season one, there is no mid-season break so it allows a single consistent arc to run throughout, avoiding the sectional feel of the debut series. With Discovery being a co-production with CBS in the US, new episodes drop weekly, which might seem old fashioned in these days of binge watch TV, but it seems wholly appropriate for Discovery as it echoes the weekly episodic format of the iconic originals.

Before starting in on season two it is worth noting there are four short films that sit in between the two series. They work as nice stand-alone mini episodes, but also become relevant to the series overall.

The first episode, Runaway, features Ensign Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and an alien stowaway and serves as some significant backstory for the later episodes of the season.

The second episode, Calypso is of note because it is written by the brilliant Michael Chabon, author of such wonderful novels as The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union and Wonder Boys. He is a writer on the upcoming Picard series and this short film serves as a nice testing ground for his immersion in the Star Trek Universe.

The third short, The Brightest Star, involves Saru’s backstory on his homeworld of Kaminar and ties in to the episode The Sound of Thunder. Finally, the best of the short films is Escape Artist and sees the return of Rainn Wilson in the role he was born to play, as Harcourt Fenton (Harry) Mudd. Wilson also directs the episode and at 15 minutes long, it is a short, light hearted Star Trek episode that is played to absolute perfection.

Read the full review at Screen Realm:
https://screenrealm.com/star-trek-discovery-season-2-review/

IMDB: Star Trek Discovery

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY (full review at The Reel Word)

After an incident aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou results in the United Federation of Planets entering into a war with the mysterious and vicious Klingon Empire, disgraced former First Officer, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), finds herself amongst the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery. The Discovery is a prototype ship, a one-of-a-kind, because it hosts an experimental spore drive (derived from fungus). Under the guidance of Chief Engineer Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) it allows Discovery to use an intricate mycelial network (similar to the roots of a plant) to transport itself, undetected, to almost anywhere in the universe. Instantaneously.

Beginning life on Discovery as a pariah, Burnham strives to regain the trust of her new crewmembers and former shipmates.  Under the command of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs), and with the friendship of Cadet Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Burnham begins her path to redemption, as the Federation battles for survival.

Read the full article at The Reel Word:
https://www.thereelword.net/star-trek-discovery-season-1-review-cbs-netflix/

IMDB: Star Trek: Discovery