Despite the hype, I do not believe this movie is about an unlikely savior of the universe of universes. Rather, it is an exploration of one woman’s struggle to maintain loving relationships with her daughter, husband, and father in the face of life’s relentless drive towards chaos and mediocrity. I saw the multiverse sideshow as reflective of her own regrets at the choices not taken, how she wished to impose her desires on those of her family, and how little she actually knew about theirs.
The extended metaphor goes on much too long, with a few totally unnecessary sidetracks. For example, a good ten minutes is devoted to the man with a raccoon on his head. All of this could have been left out, and the film still would have kept its narrative arc and made its points. The Daniels had a lot of fun riffing on kung-fu movies, film noir, and a raft of science fiction from the past (Matrix, anyone?) But a few hot-dog fingers and slow-motion butt jokes go a long way, and could have been trimmed a bit.
With more discipline and a sharper eye towards what they were trying to do, these guys could have had the next Groundhog Day or Ghostbusters. Instead, we’re left with an overlong but pleasant evening’s entertainment for the intellectually savvy.