Author: Zgamer
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Astro City
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by John Gatins, Kurt Busiek and Mark Fergus
Based on the graphic novel “Astro City: Life in the Big City” by Kurt Busiek
Cinematography by Don Burgess
Art Direction by Alex McDowell
Costume Design by Michael Wilkinson
Edited by Jeremiah O’Driscoll
Original Music by Alan Silvestri
Cast
Liev Schreiber as Asa Martin A.K.A. “The Samaritan”
Robin Wright as Kristen A.K.A. “Winged Victory”
Tommy Kane as Younger Elliot Mills
Jackie Earle Haley as “Eyes”
Catalina Sandino Moreno as Marta
Christina Hendricks as Darcy Conroy
Tobin Bell as Mr. Bridwell
Jude Law as “Crackerjack”
Michael Jai White as “Jack-in-the-Box”
Tagline: Visit scenic ASTRO CITY…and see the sights!
Synopsis
Astro City. A shining beacon of the American Dream. A city protected by some of Earth’s mightiest heroes. The more you look under the surface though, the more you see what stories can be told…
IN DREAMS: In Asa Martin’s dreams, he is flying. He soars through the clouds, carefree and unshackled by burdens. Then his alarm rings and reality sets back in. Life has never been the same since his disastrous journey from the future left him stranded in our time. Now, granted amazing powers from the empyrean fire of the timestream, Asa lives a troubled double life as a mild mannered fact checker for the Current and the Samaritan, Astro City’s mightiest hero. Today was going to be different though. Today, Asa was going to work over time to edit all of his articles, stop a tsunami, hold a board meeting for the editing team, save two runaway trains, prevent three bank robberies, save thirty hostages, defeat the Living nightmare, accept a medal and deal with dozens of unforeseen situations only he can handle. He may push his super powered body to the limit, but he will finally get what he wanted for months: five minutes of actual sleep.
THE SCOOP: Elliot Mills is content with life as editor to the Astro City Rocket. He’s been in this position for years, but he learned to appreciate what he can actually obtain. Today, while hiring a new employee, the man points to an article framed on the wall. The wall has many articles worth noting, but something about this particular one seems…off. Elliot then tells a story, one set almost thirty years ago when he was a young reporter hungry for success but stonewalled at all angles. A story about how one wrong turn late at night leads him to witness a secret gathering of heroes, a cult with fantastical powers, a sighting of a legendary hero presumed dead and a story so amazing he may never convince his editor it was real.
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE: Keeping your eyes open in Astro City will help you see plenty. “Eyes,” a low-grade lookout for smuggling fronts, is well aware of this. Tonight though, while fleeing and hiding from a busted operation, “Eyes” sees something he never would have believed. Jack-In-The-Box, one of Astro City’s most elusive heroes, took off his mask. Visions of fame sweep his mind as he imagines selling the hero’s real identity. However, as he realizes how little he can trust his “friends” in the business, his paranoia and worst-case scenario fears begin to bear down on his mind. Worse yet, he cannot shake the sinking suspicion that the hero may be following him, as conveniently shows up everywhere “Eyes” goes. Knowing it will all boil down to a pivotal choice, “Eyes” must decide what will benefit him best before he truly loses his mind.
SAFEGUARDS: A small prayer. A crucifix. A bit of wolfsbane. A necklace with the Sign of Teusz. These are some of safeguards for Marta’s commute from the ghetto of Shadow Hill to Astro City. She knows how to handle Shadow Hill’s worst, even if her mother wishes she would just marry the nice baker down the street. Still, Marta wants to prove she has the strength to survive life in the big city. It helps she is an assistant accounting clerk to Darcy Conroy, fiancé to known hero Nick Furst. However, today’s commute hit one snag. Normally, a hero called the Hanged Man silently hovers across Shadow Hill paying no attention to anyone. His presence is equally welcome and unnerving, but the rumor goes that if he ever looks at you specifically, some great misfortune was set to befall you. Guess what happened to Marta…
RECONNAISSANCE: Mr. Bridwell tells you he is just an old man admiring the sun. Mr. Bridwell is a liar. Secretly, he is an alien in disguise studying Astro City’s heroes for weaknesses. He is supposed to be preparing the planet for invasion…but he is hesitant. He has grown to like this planet, even if the old ladies in his apartment complex are obnoxious. He has a duty to fulfill though, and tonight he only has one more hero, Crackerjack, to study to determine if Earth is worth saving. Lucky for him, a resident in his apartment has accidentally exposed himself as the hero. Unlucky for him, the fate of Earth hinges on a night following the most obnoxious, arrogant and disliked of all heroes.
DINNER AT EIGHT: The heroes of Astro City have not been ignorant to the Samaritan’s overworked schedule. So they have banded together and given him the night off to do something really crazy: a blind date. The date in question is none other than Winged Victory, Astro City’s other iconic and overworked hero. A loving and charismatic hero, she also has the notorious reputation of being an extreme feminist who has no qualms saving a woman first no matter the situation. Still, both have agreed to stick to the date as a promise to the other heroes. Only time will tell if this will end in disaster or possibly a small moment of happiness…
What the Press Is Saying
The superhero genre is not going away anytime soon. From Marvel’s heroic team-ups to DC’s solo outings, we see plenty of superhero movies doing usual superhero things. So seeing Robert Zemeckis tackle a superhero anthology as his follow-up to Flight is a curious choice for sure. Though it has the production of a large-scale action epic, the story eschews action and fast pacing for a more introspective and contemplative tale about individuals. And this is exactly why it is one of most compelling superhero movies to come out in years.
Adapted from the first volume of Kurt Busiek’s acclaimed series, Astro City peels the layers of heroics away to show the lives of citizens and secret identities that co-exist with the world of superheroes. There is some action, well-choreographed action too, but the human stories are the forefront. Zemeckis and his writing team explore many themes within the subtext, ranging from celebrity, compromise, paranoia, conflict of interest and more. Yet the film never dwells on the dark side. This is an optimistic story tempered by thoughtful intellectual themes, making its topics more open to a larger audience to digest and enjoy. Think more like the 1990’s influential Batman cartoon series. It is a deft balancing act and one that Zemeckis has stepped up to handle after the issues he had with Flight’s tone.
Zemeckis offers no compromise in the production though. Astro City is a vibrant and impressive technical achievement, subtly blending fantastic CGI effects over a largely practical design scheme. It feels like a world that never outgrew 1950’s style or idealism. The retro production design and costume work are inviting and intimidating in measured levels, with a wide color palette expressed through Don Burgess’ camerawork. The flow of editing is a very measured pace that knows when to slow down and pick up at the right moments. There are even a couple good action scenes for the casual viewer, particularly the climax that punctuates Marta’s bad day going worse.
In the end though, the actors sell the film. Pulling in a pool of actors ranging from his usual suspects to lesser knowns to genre favorites, Zemeckis’ cast is uniformly excellent. From the paranoia Jackie Earle Haley brings as “Eyes” to the darkly humorous misadventure Tobin Bell makes for Mr. Bridwell, each actor works with the material to create likable and rounded characters. If there are any true highlights for Oscar merit, however, it has to go to the two prominent superheroes. Liev Schreiber’s Samaritan is a Superman with a very real and very relatable weakness, which Schreiber communicates through his body language and demeanor throughout. It genuinely elicits pathos without being cloying. And while Robin Wright has less screen time in comparison, she takes the chance to make her character the charismatic individual she should be. Both have their great individual moments, but it is the back and forth between them during their date where both actors shine.
Astro City will not be everyone’s cup of tea. It has the trappings of a superhero blockbuster, but it is firing on very different cylinders. That does not stop it from being the very best films of the year and this reviewer’s dark horse for Oscar consideration.
Award Possibilities
Best Picture
Best Director (Robert Zemeckis)
Best Supporting Actor (Liev Schreiber)
Best Supporting Actor (Tobin Bell)
Best Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley)
Best Supporting Actress (Robin Wright)
Best Supporting Actress (Catalina Sandino Moreno)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Original Score
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Astro City
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by John Gatins, Kurt Busiek and Mark Fergus
Based on the graphic novel “Astro City: Life in the Big City” by Kurt Busiek
Cinematography by Don Burgess
Art Direction by Alex McDowell
Costume Design by Michael Wilkinson
Edited by Jeremiah O’Driscoll
Original Music by Alan Silvestri
Cast
Liev Schreiber as Asa Martin A.K.A. “The Samaritan”
Robin Wright as Kristen A.K.A. “Winged Victory”
Tommy Kane as Younger Elliot Mills
Jackie Earle Haley as “Eyes”
Catalina Sandino Moreno as Marta
Christina Hendricks as Darcy Conroy
Tobin Bell as Mr. Bridwell
Jude Law as “Crackerjack”
Michael Jai White as “Jack-in-the-Box”
Tagline: Visit scenic ASTRO CITY…and see the sights!
Synopsis
Astro City. A shining beacon of the American Dream. A city protected by some of Earth’s mightiest heroes. The more you look under the surface though, the more you see what stories can be told…
IN DREAMS: In Asa Martin’s dreams, he is flying. He soars through the clouds, carefree and unshackled by burdens. Then his alarm rings and reality sets back in. Life has never been the same since his disastrous journey from the future left him stranded in our time. Now, granted amazing powers from the empyrean fire of the timestream, Asa lives a troubled double life as a mild mannered fact checker for the Current and the Samaritan, Astro City’s mightiest hero. Today was going to be different though. Today, Asa was going to work over time to edit all of his articles, stop a tsunami, hold a board meeting for the editing team, save two runaway trains, prevent three bank robberies, save thirty hostages, defeat the Living nightmare, accept a medal and deal with dozens of unforeseen situations only he can handle. He may push his super powered body to the limit, but he will finally get what he wanted for months: five minutes of actual sleep.
THE SCOOP: Elliot Mills is content with life as editor to the Astro City Rocket. He’s been in this position for years, but he learned to appreciate what he can actually obtain. Today, while hiring a new employee, the man points to an article framed on the wall. The wall has many articles worth noting, but something about this particular one seems…off. Elliot then tells a story, one set almost thirty years ago when he was a young reporter hungry for success but stonewalled at all angles. A story about how one wrong turn late at night leads him to witness a secret gathering of heroes, a cult with fantastical powers, a sighting of a legendary hero presumed dead and a story so amazing he may never convince his editor it was real.
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE: Keeping your eyes open in Astro City will help you see plenty. “Eyes,” a low-grade lookout for smuggling fronts, is well aware of this. Tonight though, while fleeing and hiding from a busted operation, “Eyes” sees something he never would have believed. Jack-In-The-Box, one of Astro City’s most elusive heroes, took off his mask. Visions of fame sweep his mind as he imagines selling the hero’s real identity. However, as he realizes how little he can trust his “friends” in the business, his paranoia and worst-case scenario fears begin to bear down on his mind. Worse yet, he cannot shake the sinking suspicion that the hero may be following him, as conveniently shows up everywhere “Eyes” goes. Knowing it will all boil down to a pivotal choice, “Eyes” must decide what will benefit him best before he truly loses his mind.
SAFEGUARDS: A small prayer. A crucifix. A bit of wolfsbane. A necklace with the Sign of Teusz. These are some of safeguards for Marta’s commute from the ghetto of Shadow Hill to Astro City. She knows how to handle Shadow Hill’s worst, even if her mother wishes she would just marry the nice baker down the street. Still, Marta wants to prove she has the strength to survive life in the big city. It helps she is an assistant accounting clerk to Darcy Conroy, fiancé to known hero Nick Furst. However, today’s commute hit one snag. Normally, a hero called the Hanged Man silently hovers across Shadow Hill paying no attention to anyone. His presence is equally welcome and unnerving, but the rumor goes that if he ever looks at you specifically, some great misfortune was set to befall you. Guess what happened to Marta…
RECONNAISSANCE: Mr. Bridwell tells you he is just an old man admiring the sun. Mr. Bridwell is a liar. Secretly, he is an alien in disguise studying Astro City’s heroes for weaknesses. He is supposed to be preparing the planet for invasion…but he is hesitant. He has grown to like this planet, even if the old ladies in his apartment complex are obnoxious. He has a duty to fulfill though, and tonight he only has one more hero, Crackerjack, to study to determine if Earth is worth saving. Lucky for him, a resident in his apartment has accidentally exposed himself as the hero. Unlucky for him, the fate of Earth hinges on a night following the most obnoxious, arrogant and disliked of all heroes.
DINNER AT EIGHT: The heroes of Astro City have not been ignorant to the Samaritan’s overworked schedule. So they have banded together and given him the night off to do something really crazy: a blind date. The date in question is none other than Winged Victory, Astro City’s other iconic and overworked hero. A loving and charismatic hero, she also has the notorious reputation of being an extreme feminist who has no qualms saving a woman first no matter the situation. Still, both have agreed to stick to the date as a promise to the other heroes. Only time will tell if this will end in disaster or possibly a small moment of happiness…
What the Press Is Saying
The superhero genre is not going away anytime soon. From Marvel’s heroic team-ups to DC’s solo outings, we see plenty of superhero movies doing usual superhero things. So seeing Robert Zemeckis tackle a superhero anthology as his follow-up to Flight is a curious choice for sure. Though it has the production of a large-scale action epic, the story eschews action and fast pacing for a more introspective and contemplative tale about individuals. And this is exactly why it is one of most compelling superhero movies to come out in years.
Adapted from the first volume of Kurt Busiek’s acclaimed series, Astro City peels the layers of heroics away to show the lives of citizens and secret identities that co-exist with the world of superheroes. There is some action, well-choreographed action too, but the human stories are the forefront. Zemeckis and his writing team explore many themes within the subtext, ranging from celebrity, compromise, paranoia, conflict of interest and more. Yet the film never dwells on the dark side. This is an optimistic story tempered by thoughtful intellectual themes, making its topics more open to a larger audience to digest and enjoy. Think more like the 1990’s influential Batman cartoon series. It is a deft balancing act and one that Zemeckis has stepped up to handle after the issues he had with Flight’s tone.
Zemeckis offers no compromise in the production though. Astro City is a vibrant and impressive technical achievement, subtly blending fantastic CGI effects over a largely practical design scheme. It feels like a world that never outgrew 1950’s style or idealism. The retro production design and costume work are inviting and intimidating in measured levels, with a wide color palette expressed through Don Burgess’ camerawork. The flow of editing is a very measured pace that knows when to slow down and pick up at the right moments. There are even a couple good action scenes for the casual viewer, particularly the climax that punctuates Marta’s bad day going worse.
In the end though, the actors sell the film. Pulling in a pool of actors ranging from his usual suspects to lesser knowns to genre favorites, Zemeckis’ cast is uniformly excellent. From the paranoia Jackie Earle Haley brings as “Eyes” to the darkly humorous misadventure Tobin Bell makes for Mr. Bridwell, each actor works with the material to create likable and rounded characters. If there are any true highlights for Oscar merit, however, it has to go to the two prominent superheroes. Liev Schreiber’s Samaritan is a Superman with a very real and very relatable weakness, which Schreiber communicates through his body language and demeanor throughout. It genuinely elicits pathos without being cloying. And while Robin Wright has less screen time in comparison, she takes the chance to make her character the charismatic individual she should be. Both have their great individual moments, but it is the back and forth between them during their date where both actors shine.
Astro City will not be everyone’s cup of tea. It has the trappings of a superhero blockbuster, but it is firing on very different cylinders. That does not stop it from being the very best films of the year and this reviewer’s dark horse for Oscar consideration.
Award Possibilities
Best Picture
Best Director (Robert Zemeckis)
Best Supporting Actor (Liev Schreiber)
Best Supporting Actor (Tobin Bell)
Best Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley)
Best Supporting Actress (Robin Wright)
Best Supporting Actress (Catalina Sandino Moreno)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Original Score