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I’m not the target audience for Wicked. I’ve never seen the original Broadway play, and to be honest, I’m not a big fan of musicals in general. In fact, when I first heard they were adapting this play for the big screen, my reaction was little more than a bored yawn. I had no intention of ever seeing it, but that all changed when the movie started to garner some buzz. It eventually became so big I just had to check it out for myself, and you know what? I’m happy I did.
Wicked was directed by Jon M. Chu, and it stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and the voice of Peter Dinklage. The film is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, but it indulges in a bit of revisionist history. In this version of the story, the Wicked Witch of the West isn’t evil…or, more accurately, she didn’t start out evil. She was once just Elphaba, a green-skinned girl with prodigious magical abilities who had trouble finding her place in the world. Elphaba’s journey to becoming the villain we all know and love (or at least love to hate) starts when she attends Shiz University and begins studying sorcery, and during her time there, she meets Galinda, an aspiring sorceress who later changes her name to Glinda. The two get off to a rocky start, but after an initial period of “unadulterated loathing” (to quote a catchy musical number), they end up becoming great friends. Unfortunately though, their bond doesn’t last forever, and a shocking revelation soon sets their lives on very different paths. Before we get to the real meat of this review, I have to give you a warning. You’d never know it from the marketing, but Wicked is actually the first installment in a two-part story, and a sequel, Wicked: For Good, is set to hit theaters this coming November. So don’t be surprised when the movie ends right when the story seems to be heating up. It’s a bit frustrating, but we’ll get a chance to return to this world soon enough. With that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff, starting with the music. As I said before, musical theater isn’t really my thing, so you’ll never find me blasting songs like “Popular” or “Defying Gravity” on a road trip. But despite my disinclination towards this genre, even I have to admit that the music in Wicked is fantastic, and this entire cast does a great job of belting these songs out. Lead stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo prove once again that they’re world-class vocalists, and even Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, actors not generally known for their musical abilities, show off some decent pipes. But the music isn’t the only beautiful thing in Wicked. The sets are similarly gorgeous, and they make you believe that this really is a fantasy world and not just a slightly tweaked version of our own reality. In particular, Shiz University has a whimsy to it that seems otherworldly yet still grounded, and the sprawling Emerald City looks like the kind of place where a wizard really would live. On top of all that, a number of these sets are practical, so they lend the experience a sense of tangibility that immerses you in the story way more than an overly CGI-laden film ever could. However, as great as this movie looks and sounds, the real stars of the show are the characters and their tragic story. Everybody in Wicked does top-notch work, but as usual, the two leads are the standouts. Let’s begin with Ariana Grande. She plays Galinda, and she’s shockingly good. I had no idea this woman could act, but she’s truly Oscar-worthy in this role. She imbues her character with the kind of naive arrogance that’s equal parts hilarious and pitiable, so you can’t help but get a kick out of just about everything this wannabe sorceress says and does. It’s truly a joy to behold, but there’s more to Galinda than initially meets the eye. As the narrative goes on, she comes to care deeply for Elphaba, and when those emotions rise to the surface, Grande absolutely nails them as well. Unsurprisingly, Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Elphaba is very different from Ariana Grande’s, but she’s just as good. As I hinted at before, Elphaba has led a hard life, so she’s used to being mocked and rejected by just about everyone around her. She’s been forced to grow some very thick skin, but in her more vulnerable moments, she shows just how painful this abuse really is. It’s utterly heartbreaking, and Erivo masterfully pulls off both sides of the character without breaking a sweat. What’s more, Elphaba is also an incredibly caring person, and if you ask me, her unflinching goodness is the real heart and soul of Wicked. No matter how much her family, neighbors, and classmates mistreat her, this girl absolutely refuses to break bad. She even cares about the people who mock her and hate her, and seeing that unwavering love towards everyone around her is truly inspiring. At this point, you might be wondering how someone so good could become so evil, and to be honest, I have that same question too. See, Wicked doesn’t show us Elphaba’s full transformation into the Wicked Witch. We only get the very beginning of that turn, so the possibilities for part two are pretty much endless. Does Elphaba finally get pushed too far? Does she end up being more misunderstood than genuinely wicked? Or does the answer lie somewhere between those two extremes? Since I’ve never seen the Broadway play, I honestly have no idea. For all I know, Wicked: For Good might run roughshod over the message of this first film and completely ruin the saga, or maybe it stays the course and cements this as one of the best two-part stories in recent memory. I’ll just have to wait and see how the sequel plays out, so for now, all I can do is judge Wicked on its own merits. And as it stands, it’s excellent. Not only is this movie beautifully executed on just about every level, but it also features one of the most uplifting and inspirational characters I’ve seen in a while. Elphaba makes me wish I was half as loving and caring as she is, and as I’ve said before, that’s the best thing a film can do for its viewers.
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Robert Eggers has been talking about remaking the 1922 silent classic Nosferatu for about a decade (at least publicly; privately, it’s probably been longer), and I’ve been looking forward to the film that entire time. Eggers is one of the best filmmakers around, so him taking on a classic tale like Nosferatu is a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, we’ve had to wait almost ten years for this dream project to come to fruition, but it’s finally here. It was near the top of my most-anticipated list coming into the year, and now that I’ve finally seen it, I’m happy to report that it’s near the top of my best-of list as 2024 comes to a close.
Nosferatu was written and directed by Robert Eggers, and it stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. At its core, this is a story we’ve seen numerous times before. Like the 1922 original, this remake is based on Bram Stoker’s seminal novel Dracula, so it’s about a vampire who travels from Transylvania to Western Europe to wreak havoc on a whole new population. However, unlike most cinematic iterations of this timeless tale, Nosferatu doesn’t take its cue directly from the novel. It’s primarily a remake of the 1922 flick, so like that silent classic, the names and places are all different from the book. Most notably, the vampire’s name is Count Orlok, and he sets up shop in Germany, not England. On top of that, Eggers also puts his own unique twist on the story, so in this version, Orlok doesn’t just choose his new home at random. Rather, he’s obsessed with a woman named Ellen Hutter, and he goes to Germany to bring her over to the dark side and claim her as his own. If you’re familiar with Robert Eggers’s work, it should come as no surprise that the costumes and set designs in Nosferatu feel impeccably authentic. I say “feel” rather than “are” because I’m by no means an expert in 19th-century Germany or Transylvania, but to my amateur eyes, everything about this movie looks spot-on. Along similar lines, the acting here is also fantastic. Everybody in this cast does top-notch work, but as usual, there are a couple of standouts. First and foremost, I have to give huge props to Lily-Rose Depp, the actress who plays Ellen. When Orlok has her character in his thrall, the poor woman goes into trances and epilepsy-like fits, and Depp gives an intensely physical performance that makes you believe she’s been cursed by an unspeakable evil. And when that unspeakable evil appears on screen, it’s the stuff of nightmares. His appearance is a blend of the classic Count Orlok look and the description of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel, and actor Bill Skarsgård plays the role perfectly. When we first meet this evil count, he moves and sounds like a decrepit old man, but there’s a nearly irresistible demonic strength and authority in his voice as well. It’s a somewhat counterintuitive mix that somehow works, so from the very first second the character shows up on screen, you have no doubt that he’s going to be one of the most memorable vampires you’ve ever seen. What’s more, Nosferatu also gives us a few shots of this creature’s unclothed body from head to toe, and he’s utterly repulsive in the best way possible. Orlok looks like he’s been dead and decaying for some time, so despite our initial impression, his design is actually more akin to a walking corpse than an old man. It’s very different from the suave, attractive vampires we often get in modern horror, and it hammers home just how abhorrent evil truly is. Next, we have to talk about the horror in Nosferatu. Unlike a lot of genre films today, this one doesn’t rely on jump scares to scare you silly. Sure, there are a few scattered throughout the movie’s two-hour-plus runtime, but in typical Robert Eggers fashion, Nosferatu is a masterclass in atmospheric horror. From the very first scene, the story has an oppressive air of inescapable dread, and when we move to Transylvania and Count Orlok’s castle, that feeling multiplies exponentially. From there, the ambience doesn’t let up until the credits begin to roll, so if you enjoy this brand of terror, you’re sure to eat up almost every second of this amazing film. Last but not least, I have to say a few words about the story. Dracula is quite possibly the most frequently adapted tale in all of horror cinema, and for good reason. It’s an amazing story, and when told well (as it is here), it doesn’t get old. So of course I enjoyed the story in Nosferatu, but what really makes this version shine is Eggers’s unique twist on the classic formula. Like I said before, Orlok is obsessed with Ellen Hutter, and he goes to Germany specifically to corrupt her and make her his eternal companion. However, the woman resists, so the undead count has to pressure her with everything he’s got. It’s a fascinating dynamic that functions as a striking allegory for the ongoing battle each one of us must wage against sin and evil in our own lives, and the story also reminds us that good, loving relationships are powerful weapons in that lifelong war. However, as we all know, they’re not enough to completely conquer sin, and Nosferatu understands that universal truth as well. Ellen’s relationship with her husband helps to ward off Orlok’s intrusions for a time, but when the creature goes all out to win her affection, she’s forced to make a fateful choice. I can’t say what that choice is without spoiling the ending, but I can tell you that it’s a bit of a mixed bag. At its core, it contains a profound truth about sin, sacrifice, and salvation, so in a certain sense, it dovetails quite nicely with our faith. Unfortunately though, the execution of this finale is a bit thematically muddled, so the truth in Ellen’s actions doesn’t come through quite as clearly as I would’ve liked. It’s a slightly frustrating ending, and it’s not the only time Nosferatu let me down. Most notably, there’s some unnecessarily explicit sexuality and nudity that seem thrown in just because that’s what films are “supposed” to do these days, and the movie also has a hazy spiritual compass that combines a few Christian trappings with a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards the occult. So if you’re looking for an old-school, straightforwardly Christian vampire flick, Nosferatu might leave you disappointed. The truth and goodness in this film are at times interwoven with a few less-than-savory elements, and that’s probably going to turn some viewers off. But for my money, it’s not nearly enough to ruin the movie. This is still a stunningly executed tale of good vs. evil with a slightly more personal twist, so when all was said and done, I walked out of the theater with a big smile on my face. I don’t play many video games these days, but when I was a kid in the ‘90s, I used to love them. I had both NES and Sega Genesis, and some of my favorite games were Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I still remember all the joy I used to get from running through the loops, picking up rings, and defeating the evil Dr. Robotnik, so it should come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of the Sonic films as well. I love the first two movies, and coming into 2024, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was one of my most anticipated films of the year. I couldn’t wait for the inevitable ‘90s nostalgia rush this movie would bring, so when tickets went on sale, I bought one for opening night as soon as I got the chance.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was directed by Jeff Fowler, and it stars Jim Carrey, Lee Majdoub, James Marsden, and Tika Sumpter along with the voices of Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, and Keanu Reeves. In the film, Sonic and his pals Tails and Knuckles have to save the world once again, but this time, they face off against more than just Dr. Robotnik. The evil scientist’s long-lost grandfather is also in the mix, and he’s teamed up with Shadow, a hedgehog with nearly unstoppable powers and a dark past. As you might be able to guess from that somewhat vague plot synopsis, the story isn’t the real draw here. In fact, from a pure narrative perspective, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn’t all that great. While the core of this story (Sonic vs. Shadow) is clear from the beginning, it takes a while for the conflict to fully take shape, and along the way, the plot shifts more times than a good story should. In a similar vein, events often happen simply because the plot calls for them, with little or no discernible narrative logic. For instance, Dr. Robotnik appeared to die at the end of the last Sonic movie, so I was curious to learn how he managed to cheat death. And now that I’ve finally seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I’m still curious because the film never explains it. We just find out that the not-so-good doctor is alive, and the filmmakers don’t bother to tell us anything more. Admittedly, that’s the most egregious example, but even when the movie isn't quite that lazy, the connective tissue often feels frustratingly thin. In that sense, this is very much a typical kids’ story, so don’t go into it expecting Shakespeare. Instead, the real draw here is the characters and all the charm, heart, and awesome action they bring with them, and on that front, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a total blast. To begin, Sonic and his crew have all the quirky charm that endeared them to viewers the first two times around. Their tight-knit friendship is as heartwarming as ever, and when they joke around, they’re absolutely hilarious. In particular, Knuckles might be even funnier than he was in the last film, so if you’re a fan of his almost Drax-like dim-witted humor, you’re in for a real treat. However, as great as the heroes are, the villains in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 just might steal the show. Jim Carrey reprises his role as the evil Dr. Robotnik, and he’s…well, he plays the character as only he can, and if you’ve seen either of the first two Sonic movies, you know exactly what I mean. But unlike those other films, Carrey gets to have double the fun this time around. He also plays Robotnik’s grandfather, and the scenes where his two characters share the screen are some of the best in the entire film. Whether the Robotniks are fighting, dancing, or just making up for lost time, Jim Carrey has surprisingly great chemistry with himself, and he brings an unparalleled feeling of pure joy to this dual role. Last but not least, we have to talk about Shadow. He’s the newbie of the bunch, and he’s more than a worthy addition to this amazing cast of characters. For starters, like I said before, this hedgehog is almost unstoppable. In fact, there’s a scene where he single-handedly takes out Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in a matter of seconds, so he’s hands down the biggest threat our lovable blue hedgehog has ever faced. His powers are similar to Sonic’s, but he has a trump card nobody can match. This creature can teleport like Nightcrawler from the X-Men, so he doesn’t just move fast. He moves instantaneously, and that ability makes for some excellent fight sequences. On top of all that, Shadow also has one of the most tragic backstories we’ve seen all year. Like his heroic counterpart, he too is from another planet, but when he arrived on Earth, he immediately became the government’s lab rat. His life was almost entirely pain and suffering, and even when he did make a friend, she was tragically taken from him. The whole thing is just heartbreaking, and when Shadow returns to his old stomping grounds and finds the place deserted and run down, the visuals bring this hedgehog’s agony to life in a stark way. A couple of his scenes might even bring a bit of moisture to your eyes, but he’s not the only tearjerker in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Just about everybody in the movie gets (at least) an emotional beat or two, and these moments all come together to create a poignant thematic tapestry that fits right in with the rest of the franchise while also expanding on its core message. The previous two Sonic films are all about family and friendship, and unsurprisingly, they mainly explore those themes through their protagonists. The first movie sees Sonic find a family in Tom and Maddie, and the second one brings Knuckles and Tails into that fold. So naturally, I was sure this third film would follow the same blueprint with Shadow, but that’s not what happens. Instead, just about everybody–including the two Robotniks and even the henchman Agent Stone–plays into this theme in some overt way, and Shadow’s contribution is very different from what I was expecting. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that it has more to do with his past than his present, and the movie hammers the point home with a great analogy involving starlight. Admittedly, that probably sounds rather vague, but trust me, it’s actually quite beautiful and touching. It’s sure to hit home with anybody who’s ever lost a loved one, so it’s the cherry on top of this already moving cinematic experience. Along with the rest of the characters and everything they bring to the table, it helps Sonic the Hedgehog 3 handily overcome its narrative weaknesses, so despite those flaws, I’m happy to report that this movie is still an absolute home run. |
Jp Nunezis a longtime film buff and theology nerd with master's degrees in theology and philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. His favorite movie genres are horror, superheroes, and giant monsters. ArchivesCategories |
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