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. 

A Haunting in Venice

Is this a good mystery? I wouldn’t know—it’s really not my genre. But I do like extraordinary characters, and in Hercule Poirot, as portrayed by Kenneth Branagh, you do have an iconic presence who really draws in the viewer. The portrayal comes across as that much fresher given that the story in this outing is a relatively untouched property, rather than the well-trodden paths of the Nile and the Orient Express. Add to those appealing elements some keen direction and skillful cinematography—the movie is a visual treat all the way through—and the result is a film that mostly satisfies. Again, I’m not a mystery fan, so I will confess that I grew a tad bored with the roundabout trip to an ultimately unwieldy explication...but that may just have been me watching the movie while being tired, too. As for the implied-by-the-title supernatural aspect of the story, the movie ultimately supplies one or two jolts, but overall it's a rather tame dose of the spooky. In sum, this is a finely-crafted movie for adults, with just enough touches of intrigue, chills, and interesting and exotic setting to lift the overall work into something worth the viewer's time.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Irresistible fun. The bedrock of this film is a tremendous sense of humor, a vibe that runs through every aspect of the story’s multidimensional view and injects laugh-out-loud moments into its exploration of how every universe is, ultimately, centered around the one person who is experiencing it. In particular, the filmmakers deliver some spot-on send ups of just about every Kung fu movie trope ever shown on screen, often with uproarious results. In contrast, the sentimental parts of the tale almost seem like a bit of a letdown when they arrive, but they are hardly unwelcome. Indeed, one wonders if all of the movie’s absurdity would even matter if there were not some emotional grounding in the end. The cast members individually and together are remarkable, handling a script that goes far out on a multitude of limbs with impressive aplomb—and doing so in two languages to boot. It’s hard to argue with the acclaim this movie received upon release. A winner in just about any universe you like.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

On its own terms, this is a pretty good action flick. It features all the requisite elements of such a piece of work: appealing leads (even Awkwafina, who till now has seemed mostly annoying), some truly audacious action and/or fight sequences (a staple of actual Chinese cinema for a long time), and a visual style that ranges from eye-catching in parts to down right gorgeous, even ethereal at times. I'm not nearly qualified to comment on its ethnic bona fides, but I doubt that's really the point of this movie anyway. (The point is to expand the MCU in new, money-making directions. Duh.) Simu Liu is good in the title role, everyone around him provides fine support (except perhaps Ben Kingsley, who takes his reprised role and runs with it...mostly into walls), and the effects provide some equally impressive creature partners. The ultimate judgement here lies in one simple aspect: does it work as an entertaining film? Sure does. At this point, this might be the best of the recent vintage Marvel movies--a low bar to leap, admittedly; it remains to be seen if there's enough life and freshness here to keep the ball rolling beyond today.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Some of the "flying" action almost ruins it--it comes across as a little too stylized--but the story is good enough to redeem that flaw. And the scene where the girl busts up the tea house is worth the price of admission alone.