Tag: Michelle Yeoh

Wicked: For Good (2025) | REVIEW

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera in WICKED: FOR GOOD — PHOTO: UNIVERSAL PICTURES (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Jon M. Chu — Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox.

The wait is over for musical theater fans all over the world. The long-awaited sequel to 2024’s Wicked, both based on the musical theater show of the same name, has hit theaters and is already one of the biggest hits of the year. Still directed by In the Heights director Jon M. Chu, Wicked: For Good is an adaptation of the second half of the aforementioned musical theater show and is thus one of the decade’s key part two films. The sequel follows the wrongly villainized Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo), known for her green skin and her magical powers, some time after the events of the first film, which culminated in an instantly iconic performance of “Defying Gravity,” as Elphaba escaped the Emerald City and left her best friend, Galinda ‘Glinda’ Upland (played by Ariana Grande-Butera), to become ‘Glinda the Good,’ a pinkly-dressed faux-witch and key representative of the Wizard of Oz (played by Jeffrey Goldblum) and his empire. The film sees our main duo step into their roles as opposing forces, hoping for reconciliation and a better future for Oz, with Elphaba being particularly focused on improving the rights of animals and anyone else who may lose their ability to speak up as a result of the Wizard’s regime. 

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Wicked (2024) | REVIEW

Ariana Grande-Butera and Cynthia Erivo in WICKED — PHOTO: UNIVERSAL PICTURES (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Jon M. Chu — Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox.

Sometimes I like to think of myself as an ‘unrealized musical theater kid,’ since I do, and always have, enjoyed performances, musicals, and whatnot but didn’t really have school programs or friends to help steer me in a fulfilling direction when I was younger. As such, it sometimes feels like I’m behind on a couple of musical theater touchstones that I undoubtedly would’ve loved when I was younger. Although I knew of “Defying Gravity,” through, I think, Glee, Wicked has been a little bit of a blind-spot for me, despite my love and appreciation for The Wizard of Oz. In early 2024, I did express some doubt about this entire big-screen adaptation project of the musical theater phenomenon, as the adaptations of Cats and Dear Evan Hansen appeared to have only lessened the reputations of those shows. So, I openly asked, on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, if this was something people actually wanted to see? Wicked die-hard fans were quick to respond with a clear and obvious ‘yes.’ Now that I’ve seen the big-screen adaptation, I can happily say that I totally get the excitement. Although I, admittedly, don’t think it’s perfect or the best movie musical of the last ten years, I found Wicked to be utterly delightful. I understand why it is, ahem, popular.

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A Haunting in Venice (2023) | REVIEW

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in A HAUNTING IN VENICE — PHOTO: 20th Century Studios.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh — Screenplay by Michael Green.

Trying to play an iconic character that has been portrayed by a litany of actors is a challenge. The challenge is more than doubled when you’re also the chief creative involvement shepherding the entire production. Such is the case for Kenneth Branagh with his Agatha Christie adaptation film series, in which he plays her mustachioed Belgian star detective, Hercule Poirot. After two so-so or at best lukewarm entries with his versions of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, Branagh has taken a far less well-known story and adapted it for his third attempt. So, is the third time the charm for Branagh’s Poirot? Well, I’ll say this, it is by far the most interesting of his three Poirot whodunnit adaptations thus far, even though it’s not without issues.

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REVIEW: Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn learns a lot about alternate universes, sausage fingers, the IRS, and the value of googly eyes in the Daniels’ EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. – Photo: A24.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Swiss Army Man) — Screenplay by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

It is exceedingly rare to find new original and genuinely inventive films made in the American film industry that also find an audience and make a lot of money at the box office. In that regard, already on paper, writer-director-duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — often referred to as the Daniels — have made a special surprise hit and something to be treasured. But it isn’t just special on paper. Everything Everywhere All At Once is an inspired and unique original film that captures Hollywood’s latest obsession at the right time and is a truly exceptional transportive and moving cinematic experience.

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REVIEW: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Simu Liu as Shang-Chi in SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS — Photo: Marvel Studios / Jasin Boland / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton — Screenplay by Destin Daniel Cretton, Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984), and Andrew Lanham.

The future of the movie theater industry has been the source of much debate in film fan circles during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Films have had their theatrical release delayed, some films have been released on premium-video-on-demand, such as Disney+ with Premiere Access, at the same time that they have been released in theaters, while, in the United States, most if not all Warner Bros. films from 2021 have been released in movie theaters and on HBO Max for no additional cost on the very same day, which was the case with The Suicide Squad. So, in addition to the fact that movie theaters have to accept the ongoing pandemic, movie theaters now also contend with subscriptions, streaming services, and premium-video-on-demand.

Now, it would appear that movie theaters have also begun to fight back against this trend with the one thing they can do, which is to refuse to release a studio’s film in theaters. Strangely, although it, unlike Black Widow, has not been released on Disney+ with Premiere Access, major theater chains have stuck by their Disney boycott with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In Denmark, I think only about ten theaters are showing it currently, which is a real shame because Shang-Chi is rad and well-worth the price of admission.

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REVIEW: Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

Karen Gillan as Sam in ‘Gunpowder Milkshake.’ Photo: Reiner Bajo / Netflix / StudioCanal.

Directed by Navot Papushado — Screenplay by Navot Papushado & Ehud Lavski.

While the Chad Stahelski and David Leitch’s John Wick from 2014 was a fantastic and emotionally involving revenge action film, I didn’t initially like the idea of making it a franchise. Eventually, though, I warmed to the idea and grew to really appreciate the Keanu Reeves-led stylized action franchise, and I became invested in the films’ epic underworld which was surprisingly complex. With the success of Stahelski and Leitch’s action franchise, similar films were produced to varying results. Unfortunately, in spite of its impressive cast, Navot Papushado’s Gunpowder Mikshake feels more like an imitation of Stahelski and Leitch’s impressive world-building than a successful original film.

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REVIEW: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, a Netflix Original Film.

Netflix Original Films had a pretty good track record prior to the release of this Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-sequel. Beasts of No Nation is an excellent BAFTA-nominated war drama, and The Ridiculous Six, though awful and offensive, isn’t without its supporters, as it is such a ‘by-the-book’ offensive gross-out comedy. It saddens me to say that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny makes Beasts of No Nation look like the exception to the rule that Netflix films aren’t that great… Continue reading “REVIEW: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)” →