Asteroid

_Will a rock from space tear a family apart or bring them together?_ A man returns to his hometown in upstate New York (Cuyle Carvin) with his wife (Mattie Jo Cowsert) and teenage daughter (Miley Rose), but they’re distressed to learn that their location is on a collision course with an oncoming asteroid. The question is why? Despite its title, "Asteroid" (2021) is not a sci-fi flick in any conventional sense, such as something that appears on SyFy. It’s a quirky dramedy with droll humor about how a looming catastrophe negatively affects people with the potential to destroy them or unite them. The lush locations (and caverns) of Oneonta, New York, are a plus, which is located about 30 miles southwest of Cooperstown (pronounced oh-nee-AAN-tuh). As far as the cast goes, Cuyle Carvin makes for a quality masculine protagonist and his friendship with Kenny (LeJon Woods) is enjoyable. Meanwhile Richard Waddingham is reminiscent of James Cromwell’s Zefram Cochrane in “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996). On the feminine front, lovely Mattie Jo Cowsert as Lynn is a revelation and worth the price of admission. Sure, the teenage daughter is mopey and spoiled, but there’s hope. It runs 1 hour, 27 minutes. GRADE: B-