film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
The retro pastel optimism is ironic, but the dark stuff slips by in subtext. This bold, colorful tale, recalling classic superhero films, could be happening in a parallel universe… a much nicer one.
Absolutely stupendous: smart, funny, poignant, a true original. A thrilling odyssey of ideas that takes its sci-fi concept to the very edges of extrapolation.
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Kate McKinnon’s gleefully reckless physicist is brainy comic mayhem, unlike any female character we’ve seen before. And there are more reasons to cheer.
An excellent complement to the novel, simplifying the science without dumbing it down yet retaining the suspense and urgency of its interplanetary stranding.
It shouldn’t be radical to see a movie treat a girl with this level of appreciation and understanding of her most intimate inner self. Yet it is.
A sort of miracle. A black comedy about a not-well woman saving herself is a savage satire on a not-well world that doesn’t realize anything’s wrong.
Funny and sad and wise and wonderful… with an absolutely heartbreaking, career-changing performance by Bill Hader.
An absolute delight, even better than the first film; a gorgeously animated ode to sticking to your principles in the face of ultimate adversity.
