“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a mess.

Apparently, intentionally so.

Seeing the film is probably the most disappointing experience I’ve had at the movies among the 2023 Oscar nominees.

“EEAAO” leads the Academy Award nominees with 11 nominations.

Although I can see why it’s the leading Oscar contender, I found the film to be an assault on the senses, powered by a plethora of special effects, quick cuts and numerous martial arts scenes.

The movie is a mash-up of a Kung-fu film, superhero spoof and family drama.

It takes place in a laundromat in the United States operated by a Chinese family.

There’s an alternative universe that is ruled by a black hole in form of a giant bagel.

Call it the “Everything” bagel. I have never liked everything bagels. I prefer sesame bagels. Maybe I had an internal bias before I saw the film.

“Everything” is not for the faint-of-heart. In addition to punishing fight scenes, there are depictions of spilled blood and weaponized sex toys. I am not making this up.

The screenplay is all over the place. It invokes the by now hoary cliché of the multiverse, which has replaced previous screenplay clichés of time travel or “it was all a dream.”

The multiverse is exploited in the “Matrix” (1999) films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe by “verse jumping,” as it’s referred to in “Everything,” as in moving from one universe to the other. This used to be called “to jump the shark,” defined roughly as the point when far-fetched events are included for the sake of novelty. Plot structure problem? Instead of “cut to the chase,” or voice-over narration, of it was a dream, “cut to the multiverse.”

“Everything” is a B Movie all dressed up with no place to go. “Everything” comes off as a Quentin Tarantino movie (“Kill Bill, Volume 1,” 2003) meets a Coen Brothers film (“Barton Fink,” 1991) meets “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) and “Deadpool” (2016) meets any number of Jackie Chan films (“Half a Loaf of Kung Fu,” 1978).

As “Movie Maven” Michael Gontkosky said after the screening, “I was expecting the kitchen sink to appear.”

At the same time, “Everything” boasts beautiful performances by the film’s Academy Award nominees.

Michelle Yeoh (Oscar nominee, actress, “Everything”; actress: “Crazy Rich Asians,” 2018; “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” 2000) is front and center in “Everything.” She is everything in “Everything.” Her range of emotions is amazing, from sadness, to understanding, to triumphant, as family matriarch Evelyn Wang.

Ke Huy Quan (Oscar nominee, supporting actor, “Everything”; actor: Short Round, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” 1984) is gentle, sweet and steadfast as family patriarch and Evelyn’s husband Waymond Wang.

Stephanie Hsu (Oscar nominee, supporting actress, “Everything”; actress: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, 2021) is, by turns, sympathetic, menacing and hilarious in the dual role of daughter Joy Wang and multiverse ruler Jobu Tupaki.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Oscar nominee, supporting actress, “Everything”; actress: “True Lies,” 1994; “A Fish Called Wanda,” 1988; “Trading Places,” 1983) is strong, obnoxious and scary as IRS agent Deirdre Beaubeirdre, who becomes a kind of robotic attack monster.

Memorable in supporting roles are James Hong (family grandfather, Gong Gong), Jenny Slate (Debbie the Dog Mom) and Tallie Medei (as Joy’s girlfriend Becky).

Among the film’s 11 Oscar nominations are: Picture (producers Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang), Director (Kwan, Scheinert; co-directors: “Swiss Army Man,” 2016); Original Screenplay (Kwan, Scheinert), Editing (Paul Rogers), Original Score (Son Lux), Original Song (Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski, “This Is a Life”) and Costume Design (Shirley Kurata).

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” is not all that for me.

“Everything Everywhere All At Once,”

MPAA Rated R (Rated R: Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.) for some violence, sexual material and language; Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Comedy; Run time: 2 hours, 19 minutes. Distributed by A24.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” was filmed in California.

At The Movies:

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” was seen at the Banko Cinemas, SteelStacks.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Box Office,

Feb. 17-19: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” did giant-size numbers on Presidents’ Day Weekend with $104 million in 4,345 theaters, for 2023’s first $100-million-plus opening weekend, as “Avatar: The Way of Water” stayed at No. 2, way back with $6.1 million in 2,675 theaters, $657 million, 10 weeks, and “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” slipped from its one-week perch at No. 1 to No. 3 with $5.4 million in 3,034 theaters, $17.9 million, two weeks.

4. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” moved up one place, $5.2 million in 3,012 theaters, $166 million, nine weeks. 5. “Knock at the Cabin” moved up one place, $3.9 million in 2,601 theaters, $30.3 million, three weeks. 6. “80 for Brady” dropped two places, $3.6 million in 3,119 theaters, $32.2 million, three weeks. 7. “Titanic: 25-Year Anniversary” dropped four places, $2.2 million in 2,132 theaters, $12.4 million, two weeks. 8. “Marlowe,” $1.9 million in 2,281 theaters, $2.6 million since Feb. 15 opening. 9. “Missing” dropped one place, $1.7 million in 1,516 theaters, $29.6 million, five weeks. 10. “A Man Called Otto” dropped three places, $1.5 million in 1,725 theaters, $60.5 million, eight weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Feb. 19 is subject to change.

Unreel,

Feb 24:

Cocaine Bear,”

R: Elizabeth Banks directs Ray Liotta, Keri Russell and Margo Martindale in the thriller. An 800-pound black bear goes on a rampage after eating cocaine.

“Jesus Revolution,”

PG-13: Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle co-direct Nicholas Cirillo, Jonathan Roumie and Kelsey Grammer in the drama. Hippies in 1970s’ southern California have a spiritual awakening. The movie is based on the book about a true story.

“Mummies,”

PG: Juan Jesus Garcia Galocha directs the animation film with the voices of Sean Bean, Joe Thomas and Eleanor Tomlinson. Three mummies in present-day London search for a stolen royal family ring.

Movie opening date information from Internet Movie Database as of Feb. 19 is subject to change.

Two Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes