"Wicked: For Good": The Magic of Feeling Over Thinking
What’s more New York than the Empire State Building and a Broadway show? Having seen Wicked on the big screen, we found ourselves taking in the hit Broadway musical during a Spring Break trip to the Big Apple. Sandwiched between the cinematic release of part one and part two, my family and I discovered the magic of the stage play. Wicked: For Good may be the inferior of the three experiences but it still manages to pull off one trick: a theater full of strangers vibing to the songs and spectacle with the sound of sniffles at the end.
Twelve tide turns since Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) came into her own and defied gravity, For Good dives further into the world of Oz. It opens showing a yellow brick road that has been laid and the animals who are being used to continue the work. As the freedom fighter, political activist and Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, continues to wreak havoc against any plan that the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) has, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) has managed to prop Glinda (Arianna Grande) up as the goodwill ambassador for the Wizard. As Elphaba fights for persecuted animals and tries to clue the citizens of Oz to the truth, she lives in the woods to keep her distance from her sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), the new Governor of Munchkin Land. In a world where the true good is muffled and the performative good is promoted, it’s a true political slight of hand fit for the times.
It’s the same slight of hand in the movie that writers Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman, and Gregory Maguire want viewers to experience outside of it. The gap in time leaves plot holes that likely would have helped part two be as strong as part one. It’s the journey of seeing Elphaba and Glinda grow in their relationship and power that makes the ending of Wicked so powerful. Here, we have to just go with the jumps in character development. How did Nessa become captor over lover of Boq (Ethan Slater)? Why is Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) captain of the Wizard’s guards? While the movie does explain Glinda’s desire to be accepted as her reason for sticking around, we don’t quite get an understanding as to why Elphaba would tolerate her bestie continuing to participate in the charade. Regardless, the film isn’t asking you to think. Instead it wants you to feel.
So if you’re willing to roll with it, you can get swept away in the feels of the story. After all, musicals are an outward expression of what we feel through song. The songs and vocals don’t disappoint here. It’s leading ladies have lungs for days. While arguably Wicked holds the more powerful ballads, the songs in Wicked: For Good support the character development and moments that make this musical touching.
The film, like the stage play, rushes the second half of the story. It loops in some of the major plot points of The Wizard of Oz, giving the behind the scenes that we didn’t know while making sure we don’t focus on Dorothy and her companions too much. Ultimately, as the movie made it’s way to it’s final running time, I heard the sound of sniffling in the screening I was in. I saw a grown man crying next to my daughter on one side and a mother holding her young daughter while wiping tears on the other side of me. So plot holes aside, Wicked: For Good is still affective and may still your heart for a clock tick.
Rating: B-
"Sonic The Hedgehog 3" Review": A Genre Buffet of Family Fun
With it’s third entry into the franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 has it’s footing. It’s full camp. It’s a genre buffet that focuses more on its vignettes than answering plot hole questions. It just might be the most fun you’ll have in theaters with your family this holiday season!
Building on the events of Sonic The Hedgehog 2, the film finds the new Wachowski family with Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) trying to get away for some R&R with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter). After a hedgehog named Shadow (Keanu Reeves) is released from his suspended state after fifty years, that peace the family is attempting to get comes to an immediate end. Team Sonic is whisked to Tokyo to try and bring Shadow under control, if at all possible.
Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone and Jim Carrey as Ivo Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
The big question is who released Shadow with what looks like Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) tech? It’s quickly revealed that Ivo has been enjoying telenovelas and getting the Thor post Infinity War treatment (big gut). Enter Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey), Ivo’s long lost grandfather. From there, it’s off to the races to stop a world ending machine and Jim Carrey having as much fun as he can on screen.
Knuckles (Idris Elba), Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
The film continues to build out the video game world, showcasing character’s skills and power ups. It also noticeably shifts in genre in its dialogue, cinematography and pacing throughout the film. The opening setup is full of action, it moves into a kid friendly horror moment, a musical dance number, comedy and drama. This could seem disjointed at first glance, but for anyone who played the game on Sega, we know that there were different levels with different styles of gameplay and music. It’s this not so subtle change in cinematic genres that confirm the film is self-aware. In fact, there is a joke about making a flash drive work after blowing on it much like we did with game cartridges.
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc. | © 2024 Par. Pics & SEGA
Jim Carrey said that he came out of retirement for this film because he needed to pay bills. Hopefully he keeps overspending so we’ll see him future films because he’s so much fun to watch as both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik. Each character is fully developed, but they bounce off of each other in comedic fashion as only Carrey can do. Where the first two films were about building family, Keanu Reeves’ Shadow has baggage to deal with in regards to the family he lost. So the franchise keeps revolving around family dynamics while adding more characters to this world.
So make sure you stick around for the post credit scene. This is by no means an Academy Award winning children’s film. It’s fun, nostalgic for those who played the game or watch/ed the shows. It’s a good time at the movies for the family!
Rating: B-
"The Woman King" Review: This Should Not Be Missed!
There’s no doubt that The Woman King will be a cultural experience for many this weekend. The telling of one of the most feared and revered female warriors on the big screen is something to behold. While some of the action feels “Disney-fied”, the message in this film is undeniably powerful and should not be missed!
The film revolves around the West African nation of Dahomey in the early 1800s. Known for their fierce, all-female warriors called the Agojie, we’re thrust amidst an ongoing Game of Thrones amongst African Kingdoms. Nanisca (Viola Davis) leads these incredible warriors and after a recent battle, realizes she needs new, stronger soldiers to fight off the rival Oyo empire. The Agojie are all that stand in the way of the Oyo and King Ghezo (John Boyega) has full faith in them.
Nanisca leans on her right hand, Amenza (Sheila Atim). It’s evident that they have been through good and bad times together. Amenza holds Nanisca’s orders, secrets and trust as a chosen sister. Izogie (Lashana Lynch) trains the new crop of prospective Agojie. She’s an aggressive fighter with ambition to be more who gives tough love and mentoring to the hopeful. One amongst them is Nawi (Thuso Mbedu). Nawi is an untraditional young woman who has turned every suitor away with her attitude. For her, the Agojie is her way out of a life of subjectivity.
With war as a vehicle of urgency, in the backdrop of the setting is also the Atlantic slave trade. It’s a part of the movie that is naturally highlighted as a theme of both physical and mental slavery shows itself throughout the film. Writers Dana Stevens and Maria Bello shine light on the various tribes and nations involved in the atrocity and in a minor way, the impact that we can assume it had on the African people. Trauma is dealt with in a way that is both heartbreaking and triumphant! As each member of the Agojie carry the weight of their own trauma, how they overcome is perhaps the most powerful message in the film.
Gina Prince-Bythewood (Beyond The Lights) may not be a house hold name to many, because she directs a feature film so infrequently. However, when she does get behind the camera, it’s always worth watching. Her ability to capture human relationships is always refreshing. Viola Davis gives a masterful performance as always. The lean she does at the climax of the film takes you through so many emotions without her saying a word. Lashana Lynch will likely have Oscar buzz surrounding her performance as she gives Izogie a hard exterior with a soft core to create a complex but lovable character.
The celebration in song and dance throughout the film is moving. You can feel the joy and pain at times in the tribal dancing. The action in this film is a little underwhelming at times. To be all female warriors, you would expect serious bloodshed. Even if that couldn’t be shown due to the rating, the problem is that the camera doesn’t allow you to see the fight choreography in full. Mid-shots are used rather than wides. So the action feels stifled at times, which is sad because it would be nice to see all of the hard work these amazing actresses put in on full display. To see women tough and brutal is not something we get often from film. Perhaps some will say we got a lot here, but this did feel like it was under the watchful eye of someone to keep it PG-13.
Whatever the case may be, the message in this film and the portrayals by the cast is worth seeing! Grab some friends and go this weekend! This was like church for the crowd I screened the film with. They talked to the screen and audibly showed they related to the message. That’s the power of film!
Rating: B+
"The Batman" Review: The Greatest Depiction of The World's Greatest Detective
The Batman is difficult to write about because there are so many things to talk about. Where do you start? Simply put, this may be the greatest depiction of the world’s greatest detective on the big screen!
The film starts in a Gotham City where criminals fear the bat symbol in the sky, but the Gotham Police Department doesn’t quite trust the masked vigilante yet. That’s not entirely true, at least one person does, James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). So when the mayor is killed by The Riddler (Paul Dano), Batman (Robert Pattinson) gets to visit the scene under skeptical eyes.
This is the crux of this Neo-noir film. Key political figures in Gotham are getting picked off by The Riddler one at a time and Batman has to solve it. Along the way his paths intertwine with Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) aka Catwoman. I’d rather you go into the film as cold as possible so that you can enjoy the movie like I did, but I will talk about key elements here that don’t spoil the plot.
The direction from writer/director Matt Reeves is spectacular. This is the same man that brought us films like Cloverfield, Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, and War of The Planet of The Apes. So every moment and action sequence is well thought out and planned. Reeves partnership with cinematographer, Greig Fraser, paints Gotham in shadows and red. The red hues of dusk and dawn are used throughout the film for exterior shots. Fire burns and bullets also fly to illuminate characters with natural lighting. It sets a tone for this film that is kept throughout.
The ensemble cast at work is amazing in part because of the writing and due to the diligence of the film’s performers. The characters feel lived in and real. They aren’t comic portrayals as we’ve seen in some iterations of Batman movies, but people with histories. While some of the history is told in the film, much of it is in the physicality of the actors. Zoe Kravitz is on one as she plays three roles in this film in my opinion. There’s the girl who works in the club, Selina and Catwoman. Each hat she wears has varying levels of vulnerability. Jeffrey Wright gives a solid, subdued character performance as usual. You may hear people say that Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as Oswald Cobblepot and it’s true. The makeup and prosthetics have a lot to do with that physically, but he brings the trauma that Oz (as he’s called) would have gone through over the years into this character who has a chip on his shoulder with visions of power. Multiple outlets have reported that Paul Dano lost sleep in getting into the Riddler’s mindset and it shows on screen. Not bags under his eyes, but the twisted evil genius is there. His motivation is palpable.
Perhaps the major question you want me to answer is how is Pattinson as Batman. If I answered that, I’d taint the film for you either way. However, this is one of the first times I’ve seen Batman as an authentically feared entity. Criminals are supposed to fear him and they have in prior films but not like this. Here, the score from Michael Giacchino is fantastic being both brooding and haunting. It can play as a horror score at times and western showdown at others. Sound and the lack of it is used to accentuate the mythic status Batman is starting to achieve in this world. Reeves camera pushes into the darkness and looks for the boogie man like it would in a horror film.
The film is written in a style reminiscent of an old gumshoe. Batman narrates at points throughout the movie. As I said in the opening, this may be the greatest depiction of the world’s greatest detective because finally, we see the intelligent, detective side of Batman. We’re led throughout the two hour and fifty five minute run time by screenwriting that gives us what we need to know and keeps us asking what’s coming next. So use the restroom ahead of time and try not to get a large icee. This is absolutely one you don’t want to miss!
Rating: A
"Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" Review- May The Franchise Rest In Peace
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania puts the nail in the franchise’s coffin and not a single tear was shed. It’s another film that can bring the family together, but it’s not very inspired. The stakes are logical, it builds on prior films, but there’s no special magic here.
The one thing that Drac (Brian Hull) has always held against Jonathan (Andy Samberg) whether seriously or in jest, is the fact that he isn’t a monster. So it would make sense that when Drac is ready to give his famous hotel to Mavis (Selena Gomez), realizing that Jonathan would help run it as well puts Drac on edge. In fact, he gets cold feet and states to Johnathan that he won’t be able to allow them to inherit the hotel due to a real estate clause that calls for the hotel to be monster owned.
What’s a loving, wanting to impress dad, slightly insecure son going to do to ensure the hotel is bequeathed to Mavis and himself? He talks to Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) about being turned into a monster. Of course, things don’t go as planned and we get to spend the remaining running time in a search for the cure for the monsters who have become humans and the human who has become a monster.
It’s hard not to like the good-hearted nature of the ensemble. The addition of voice actor Brian Hull, in replacement of Adam Sandler as Drac, is like a cat in the Matrix. You know something is a bit off if you really listen to Drac’s voice, but otherwise it’s a seamless handoff of the character. Overall, this is a slapstick comedy that earns its sympathy chuckles.
If you’re of a certain age, you remember that when movies would go straight to video it usually meant they weren’t very good. We’re living in an age when movies that go to streaming instead of theaters or a simultaneous release have the same meaning. This wasn’t a Toy Story 3 bow that felt like an end of a franchise and was done beautifully. Instead, this was squeezing the franchise for the last bit of blood it had left. May it rest in peace. You can watch this with the kids on Amazon Prime today!
Rating: C-
"The 355" Review: You've Seen This...Done Better
The only thing refreshing about The 355 is an all female lead ensemble cast. It has the bones of a decent spy film but is missing the muscle and sinew to bring it all together. You’ve seen this before and done so much better!
The film starts with a military team crashing in on the house of a warlord. The shootout ends with one lone agent, Luis (Edgar Ramirez) retrieving a drive that has the power to take planes out of the sky and shut down power grids. It’s a weapon of mass destruction that will start World War III and that’s all you need to know because how it functions doesn’t really make much sense. Thus we have our McGuffin (an object in a movie that everyone wants) that the film keeps as the center.
We’re slowly introduced to our cast of characters. Mace (Jessica Chastain) and Nick (Sebastian Stan) work for the CIA and are going after the drive when Marie (Diane Kruger) steps in to get it. As not to spoil the plot, one by one other agents from agencies around the world come in to the fold. Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), Graciela (Penelope Cruz), and Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan) all step up willingly or unwillingly to help stop possible annihilation of the world.
Character development is poor in a genre that demands it. It takes smart writing to We’re given scenes that inform us that Khadijah has a boyfriend and Marie is a lone wolf trying to evade the shadow of her father’s past, but they don’t have any depth to them. The movie plays out like a beat sheet from a first draft of a better espionage flick. As much as I love Jessica Chastain, she is gifted two fight scenes that seem to go on far longer than needed in this film. Some of the choreography plays out like a one size fits all when it should have played to each particular character’s strengths and physicality.
Co-writer/director Simon Kinberg has good and great films to his producer credits: Logan, Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Chappie, and more. Producing is a different skill than directing though. This film lacks direction. The best action directors can get the audience acquainted with the setting and space a scene is being shot in with an establishing wide-shot and then push in on action. There are so many times where characters enter a setting but seem to have magically appeared in a space due to poor camera direction and editing.
The 355 has the formula of a spy film but lacks needed elements to make the equation add up to a satisfying outcome. The cast have given us memorable performances in the past, but this will be a film that we quickly forget about and that they were involved in. It may be worthy of a Netflix night, but definitely not worth getting out in these COVID streets to see in theaters!
Rating: D+
"One Night In Miami" Review: A Fly On The Wall Peek
If given the chance to be a fly on the wall for a historic conversation, what conversation would you choose? We’ve been invited to be a fly on the wall with four black historical figures in One Night in Miami. Director/Producer Regina King and screenwriter Kemp Powers have given us a thought-provoking glimpse into history through a fictional interpretation of true events as discussed by iconic figures. The concept is fresh, innovative, and does not disappoint. Thanks to Kemp’s screenplay and a star-studded cast, the transition from stage play to the screen is smooth.
On Feb. 25, 1964, after Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) shocked the world by defeating Sonny Liston to become the Boxing World Champion, he and a few friends (Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Malcom X (Kingsley Ben-Adir)) decide to meet in a room at a hotel in Miami before going out to celebrate Clay’s victory. Once in the room, the men begin to exchange stories of their personal trials and tribulations of being a black man with power in America in 1964.
From the cinematography to the music selections, everything is intentional and well crafted. With King in the director’s chair (for the first time, mind you) and Powers’ powerful writing (Disney’s Soul), this film sets a bar for one location plays adapted to the screen. It doesn’t feel like a stage play, but more like a documentary. Powers’ writing captures and confronts topics with a perspective on political, religious and racial issues that still ring true with African Americans today.
The film exposes the difficult situation these men found themselves in as prominent figures in society. There was a particular crossroad they had to pass in terms of the fact that they could personally be successful and wealthy and not ruffle political feathers or use their status to make a difference which would come with strife. An example of a topic of discourse is between Malcom X and Sam Cooke. Malcolm feels Cooke could use his voice through music to help with the black movement in a direct way rather than indirectly helping from the sidelines. Cooke explains how he writes songs and receives royalties to be able to have financial capital to make a difference, stating “I don’t want a piece of the pie; I want the recipe.” The clash gives an interesting notion of the two wanting the same results but attaining it in different ways, which is something we saw from many leaders at the time.
You can feel the emotion that each actor delivers in their interpretation of their characters as though they channelled their real-life counterparts. Goree (Clay) and Ben-Adir (X) re-imagined the expressions of the figures previously portrayed by Will Smith and Denzel Washington (with great success) and etched and expanded their own paths forward. Goree portrays Clay as a charming charismatic version of the champ, coming to make the big decision of converting to the Nation of Islam. Ben-Adir shows multiple facets of Malcom X as a family man whose goal is to advance black people from the harsh realities of America at the time, while fighting a few personal fights within the Nation of Islam simultaneously. Hodge (Jim Brown) and Odom Jr (Sam Cooke) also set a high bar for their performances of the two characters. Hodge shows the calm and dominant demeanor that turned Brown into a household name for both football and acting. The multi-talented Odom, uses the voice we loved in Hamilton to effortlessly step into the crooner’s shoes.
Overall, this concept is a first-class piece of art. I laughed, my thoughts were provoked, and I learned something about each of these high-profile characters on a personal level, especially their stances on the advancement of black people. Most importantly, I was inspired by each character as he shared how his experiences supplied purpose to his life and how status as a celebrity was going to be used to fulfill that purpose. If you love original content that tells a good story, this is a must watch. If it was in theaters, I’d go, but the at home experience does it justice. It’s a well-constructed film that will give you an appreciation for each of these characters and will have you looking for other opportunities to be a fly on the wall. One Night in Miami is set to start streaming on Amazon Prime January 15th.
Rating: A
"Fatale" Review: What Happened In Vegas, Didn't Stay There!
“Fatale” is the latest in the cheating husband who messed with the wrong woman genre. “Fatal Attraction” is the gold standard for husbands stepping out on their wives and reaping what they sow. Since the 1987 film there have been plenty that have tried to emulate it or deliver something similar. In fact, screenwriter David Loughery wrote 2009’s “Obsessed”, which had a similar theme. It seems he learned a few things with his latest screenplay for “Fatale” by side-stepping predictability but a couple flaws keep it from greatness.
Derrick (Michael Ealy) is a man who has it all on paper. He’s got the job, the luxurious house, and a beautiful wife. He and his wife have hit a rough patch and they seem to be on different pages. So when Derrick attends a bachelor party in Vegas with his business partner Rafe (Mike Colter), he has a one night stand with Val (Hilary Swank). It’s a mutual fling with both stating they are from out of town trying to blow off steam.
The next morning, Derrick wakes up and is ready to bounce, having come to his senses, but Val wants more. Weeks later, Derrick has the fight of his life with a masked home invader. When the police arrive, the detective in charge of the case is Valerie Quinlan, his one night stand. From there, the game of cat and mouse begins with some surprising twists along the way.
Swank has fun trying on a non-traditional character for her. She walks the tightrope of a scorned woman and an evil genius with just the right touch of humanity to create a three dimensional fatale. Ealy brings a certain relatability to his fish out of water character and does what he can with the script. Unfortunately, his character is written to continuously make poor decisions. That doesn’t stop him and Swank from having some juicy moments on screen. The subtext in their second encounter, right after the home invasion, is fun to watch. In fact, a lot of the delivery of Swank’s lines have a consistent weight to them that makes her character scary yet thrilling to watch because she’s so smooth with her hidden rage.
A lot of credit goes to director Deon Taylor. He’s shown tremendous growth in his storytelling since he dipped his toes in the thriller genre with "Traffik". He understands how to craft suspense (as evident in his last pairing with Ealy in "The Intruder") and uses his camera to speak where the script doesn’t. In one scene, after speaking with Derrick, Val backs out of the driveway with the camera locked down and watching from the back seat. As the car goes up the natural incline of the driveway and then levels out, Derrick disappears from the background of the frame due to the front of the car lifting up. We’re left to focus solely on Val’s face in the foreground. It’s a power shift that is told in pictures, not words. Taylor is certainly one to watch.
Cinematographer Dante Spinotti shoots LA for the first time since “Heat”. It’s a gorgeous and sleek looking film that adds to the story that all that shimmers isn’t gold. This is the third collaboration of Taylor and Spinotti and each outing continues to build on their ability to tell story through film.
While the “Fatale” does a good job of subverting the stereotypical plot, it forgets to leave the dumb husband trope out of loop. By the time Derrick starts making good decisions, you’ve yelled at the screen enough to leave him to Val’s schemes. Nonetheless, it’s still an entertaining watch with some moments you won’t see coming.
Rating: B