“Beware the Ides of March,” cautioned the psychic to Julius Caesar in Shakespeare's play.

Here's a caution for you: Beware “Hail Caesar” playing at The Harbor Theatre this week. No, you needn't have a fear of cutlery as you buy your ticket, just disappointment.

“Hail Caesar,” the new film by the usually fabulous Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, have packed homages to more film genres in 105 minutes of screen time than there needs to be. Having said that, there are some really great scenes.

The Coen brothers have used a Hollywood movie studio – what else, right? - and its multiple sets to introduce the characters.

It's the early 1950's in Tinseltown and Capital Pictures studio exec Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) who goes to the confessional at his local Catholic church every 24 hours. Mannix has his hands full. keeping the studio's stars in check, putting out their personal fires, and keeping them on their respective sets. And the stars, both real and fictional, are aces.

The main film within the Coen film is a Biblical one, entitled, “Hail Caesar, A Story of the Christ.” There is a cast of 100 or two (you thought I was going to say 'thousands,' didn't you?). Maybe. Captial Pictures' major studio star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is a Roman soldier (a little Heston, a little Douglas – hey they made their fair share of this type of film), with a lot of dialogue, and very interesting hair. When Whitlock goes missing, no one is concerned at first. He's known for his womanizing, alcohol-based diet. But, when he doesn't return for hours Mannix gets concerned. Mannix receives a ransom note demanding $100K. What he doesn't know is that the kidnappers are a group of the studio's screenwriters who are communist party sympathizers or have joined the Communist party (I wasn't altogether sure).

One of the humorous scenes is the meeting between Mannix and a group of clergymen – a Catholic priest, an Eastern Orthodox priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Fundamentalist - necessary because the studio does not want to offend any “reasonable” person. The rabbi is hysterical – even when all he does is shrug as an answer to a question. Speaking of questions, when Mannix asks each of the four if they have any issues with the script and the way the subject of Christ, Calgary, and religious philosophy is handled, the Eastern Orthodox clergyman says he did not find the chariot scene very believable.

Scarlett Johansson portrays Esther Williams' fictional counterpart, DeeAnna Moran. The synchronized swimming, captured June Taylor dancers-style, is gorgeous, really, and very well done. There are dazzling fountain waterworks from which Moran rises in mermaid garb. Johansson's Brooklynesque accent is unexpected making it fun and funny. Oh, by-the-by, DeeAnna is pregnant, something the public can't know because it will destroy her good girl image, her mermaid, um, tail, is too tight … nothing but issues for Mannix here.

Tatum Channing delivers awesome fancy footwork on a musical set at the studio performing “No Dames,” with fellow sailors about to ship off for eight months. This scene not only makes you sit up and take notice, it also suggests that there may be alternatives until they come back from sea.

Alden Ehrenreich plays the cowboy film star Hobie Doyle (based on Tom Mix) who is recruited by Mannix to fill in as one of the characters in a period chi chi piece being directed by Laurence Laurentz (portrayed by Ralph Fiennes). Remember this phrase “Would that it t'were so simple.”

So, yeah, there are moments in this film. Hold on and wait for them.

“Hail Caesar” opens at The Harbor Theatre on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. It also plays at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, Wednesday, March 2 and Thursday, March 3; Sunday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m.