Wicked: For Good

It’s a wonder that Baum stopped with the money supply. The impression from watching this continuation of the story is that the cultural relevancy of the foundational work is even more profound than a first glance tells. It’s all in here, and explicitly so: the social, political and personal themes that populate this split movie’s first half stand out even more in this denouement. Indeed, it’s rather astonishing how much the writers of the script could pen lines of dialogue that evoke (before the fact) specific parallels to current events and consternations. Again, it really says something that this story and its elements could be reborn and repurposed—from original incarnation (book series, then a classic movie), to another book, to the stage, and then to screen again—to say something old yet new. That whole process was helped immensely by wonderful casting, particularly in the leads (though Ariana Grande is distractingly skinny, to the point where you want to shove a donut or two into her mouth). As before, the visual design is comprehensively delightful, while most of the songs are superb. This is the whole package, a truly impressive accomplishment. Wizardry without humbug, for sure. 

Wicked

From unlikely soil can spring forth remarkable fruit. The great power of this story (both this movie and the play upon which it is based) lies in the fact that it is the offspring of a story that was created over a hundred years ago—and as a metaphor for the populist movements of that far off era, to boot. In a world that seems devoted to constant change, and outright rejection of the past, it is heartening to see some cultural continuity where the tales, symbols and characters of another age can still hold charm and appeal even today. Indeed, the charm of the lead characters here—Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande's Glinda—is what propels this adaptation up into rarified air and makes this work as entertaining and emotionally satisfying as it is. Some of the ensemble songs are a bit too ensemble, if you know what I mean, but the solo and duet numbers are standout. Also, this conception of the highly eccentric kingdom of Oz provides a visual feast throughout. There are a few elements that threaten to pull the viewer out of full absorption with the tale—the themes and subtext sometimes get dangerously close to preachy—but for the most part this ride can be enjoyed on its primary, straightforward terms. Let’s hope the filmmakers are able to find an equal amount of magic to pour into the forthcoming sequel/conclusion of this tale. So far, so good, witches. 

Jurassic World: Dominion

The gang's all here. I suppose that's a good thing, and I found the presence of the original cast members an enjoyable part of this outing. The action set pieces are also quite good. And I appreciated the story's vision of a modern world where dinosaurs are just a part of the usual landscape, even to the point where you're feeding them at the local pond like the ducks; it makes sense given the progression charted by the previous movies. (As we know, things can spread quickly in this world.) So there's plenty to enjoy in this work. But it also comes across as very much rehashed, recycled, thin on motivation and, ultimately, not especially impactful. The spectacle of realistic looking dinosaurs fighting each other--not to mention the human actors--on the screen just can't have the same impact anymore. It really make sense to let this thing--to say nothing of those things--be a thing of the past, a thing we can appreciate as an object of history and memory, rather than as something that was kept alive long past the time when it should have gone to its rest. Such is life, and it's time here to let life find its way to that end.

Hotel Artemis

I have a bad feeling about this. ‘This’ in this instance meaning the future as depicted in movies. It’s never all that good; in fact, most of the time, it’s depicted as downright wretched. So it is here. That in and of itself is not a reason to pan a movie, but it had better not the only thing in the presentation—there’d better be something else on display to make the audience feel like they should care about what’s going on in that still-to-come dystopia. This outing, for instance, nearly gets there with some likable characters, including Jodie Foster doing her game best to provide some major depth to a story that, all in all, is lacking in the dimension department. A lot of what goes on here seems oddly detached. It probably doesn’t help that everyone on the screen/scene is, at best, morally ambiguous. Pay attention you storytellers out there: goodness still matters. It’s hard to root for criminals from the jump, and even when they display some redeeming qualities, that doesn’t automatically get a spectator cheering. At least this film has brevity going for it; it clocks in at a tidy hour and a half, and that helps raise some goodwill where the rest of the proceedings fall short. You can check in here, if you like; just don’t expect five-star accommodations.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Standard-issue dinosaur movie. The plot lines present here are as obvious as the plates on a stegosaur's back, so don't go into this one looking to be surprised. Indeed, some elements are so thoroughly recycled--the bedroom sequence recalls the first movie's kitchen sequence so precisely that one wonders if it was meant to be an homage--that views will be forgiven if they believe their own movie-watching past has come back to life (without benefit of genetics). Thankfully, the leads are likeable; that goes a long way to making this effort less annoying than it might otherwise be. You're just left, at the end--or long before that, really--to wonder: isn't anyone ever going to learn anything?

Isle of Dogs

Some dogs are cute and engaging; some movies, too. That's enough to make some people fall in love, with the dogs at least. I'm not sure this flick is love worthy, but it is a pretty enjoyable bit of work. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, given it's a Wes Anderson film; Anderson probably lays on the preciousness just brushing his teeth in the morning, and this outing certainly delivers its share of the auteur's characteristic style. But the somewhat affected style is not an insurmountable obstacle; Anderson takes it right to the edge, but doesn't fly over the rim into an abyss of cutesiness. That balancing act is helped considerably by a terrific voice cast, who deliver--in English and Japanese--a pack of spot on performances. The foreign setting (to yours truly, at least) is a strength of the story; the language barriers help give the sense of a lack of communication that must by typical of people and their pets (whatever folks may believe to the contrary). And no, this cat lover didn't mind the movie's notion of feline villainy. All in all, every dog movie has its day, and you can give this outing its day--or at least a couple hours of your time.

Thor: Ragnarok

So this is what you get when the MCU drops acid. It's impossible to watch this movie without being very conscious of how weird it is, in many ways, despite the fact that it stays entertaining all the way through. The comedy stands out for sure; this movie is very consciously trying to be funny, which is a real change of pace from so many of the extremely self-serious comic book movies these days. And then you have the weird '80s vibe throughout, expessed through the music (Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo contributed to that) and a number of visual, stylistic choices. Had this movie been in less competent hands, it might have been a disaster. Instead, we got a fun ride that bears an obvious resemblance to the other Marvel flicks, but is also different enough that it makes the case that, yeah, this whole thing can go in different directions and remain vibrant and worth the audience's time. At this point, that's quite an accomplishment. We'll see if future films live up to that promise.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

It's weird. It's absurd. It's deadpan. It's frequently hilarious. Not everyone's cup of tea, to be sure, but those who get it will really enjoy an offbeat adventure. Special mention must go to the wonderfully mocking parodies of Cousteau-style nature films and books; the animation is a wry joy, and the artwork and look are spot on (and riotous). If you've liked other Wes Anderson movies, definitely take this plunge.

Igby Goes Down

Such a sordid little tale. This one tells us that the East Coast idle rich are evil and loathesome. Duh. Still, they can also be occasionally funny, as seen here every once in a while (though not enough to make the film a must see).