Wicked: For Good (2025)

Here we are, it's the end point for a fantastical tale, the end point for a fervent fandom, and the end point (or maybe just a pause) on a friendship that we've seen blossom both onscreen and off. Everyone seemed to be keeping their expectations in check for the release of Wicked: For Good, and that caution was justified, considering the general consensus of the first half ending on such an unsurpassable high point with "Defying Gravity".

We join the action almost where we left off at the end of the first movie. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is leaning fully into her "Wicked Witch" image as she attempts to get people to see what a fraud The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) really is. Glinda (Ariana Grande) remains an ally to the Wizard, being used by both him and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to feed a specific narrative to the people of Oz. Despite this, however, Glinda secretly remains a friend to Elphaba, although that looks set to come to an end when Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) confesses that he is in love with Elphaba. Meanwhile, Elphaba's sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) has taken on a role in politics that sees her at odds with her sibling, but also allows her to put rules and restrictions in place to keep Boq (Ethan Slater) close to her. Big changes seem to be inevitable, and it may be in the shape of a tornado-relocated house.

If you liked the first instalment of this epic tale of friendship, betrayal, and yellow road-building materials then you're unlikely to be disappointed by this. Filming both films concurrently allows for an easy continuity and consistency from writers Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, as well as director Jon M. Chu. Everyone knew what a hot property this was, but the dream pairing of Erivo and Grande managed to somehow take everything to another level (as much to do with their wonderful press tour moments that went viral as to do with their superb onscreen work). While the visuals can sometimes appear a bit too busy and bright, it's all in line with the vision of a land shaped and manipulated by a charlatan looking to distract and placate the people who look up to him. Would I have liked some more inventive staging and choreography with some of the musical numbers? Absolutely, but there's also a satisfaction to be moved by the simple emotion and powerful voices of the leads when singing the likes of "For Good" and "No Good Deed". And at least both "Wonderful" and "The Girl In The Bubble" try to make up for things with a great selection of tricks and flourishes.

I feel as if I've already said everything I needed to say about Erivo, Grande, Goldblum, and Yeoh, as well as Bailey. They all deliver performances here that are in line with their performances from the first film, although arguably a bit better while freed from having to do all of the establishing scenes that brought them all together. Bode and Slater definitely have a bit more to do, in terms of how their characters affect the main storyline anyway, and it's a good decision to show us fleeting glimpses of a never-fully-visible Dorothy that we can continue to imagine is the iconic Judy Garland version of the character. 

This was very enjoyable, especially if you're already familiar with other Oz tales, the Gregory Maguire novel, and the live stage show. Watching the pieces come together in time for the expected finale is a delight, although, as mentioned at the very start of this review, the film can't ever reach the heights that were reached in the first instalment. Die-hard fans can probably add a point or two to my own rating, and I can only imagine the many themed singalong evenings and fancy-dress parties being planned now that this has hit home viewing platforms. I might even plan my own mega Oz-a-thon one day soon. I have tended to love every cinematic adventure set in this world.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share 

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

We're at the stage now when a new Jurassic Park movie no longer inspires the awe and excitement it used to. That started when it became Jurassic World, but each subsequent instalment since the first movie has felt like diminishing returns as various directors have tried to recapture the magic of the original. I actually enjoyed Jurassic World Dominion, which many disliked, so I was someone especially miffed by the idea of them attempting to reboot the series yet again.

Anyway, let's cut to the chase. You don't need too many plot details. A group of people head to an island full of dinosaurs to collect some stuff. Things don't go well. There's also a family caught up in the dino crisis, and viewers will know that everything will lead to a finale that makes use of the biggest and baddest beasties around. All accompanied by a score from Alexandre Desplat that knows it needs to work with the familiar motif established by John Williams.

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Jurassic World: Rebirth is a strange mess of a film, unable to give us anyone to truly root for while also under-delivering on the expected dinosaur spectacle. Director Gareth Edwards does well behind the camera, quite rightly avoiding the coy approach to big monsters that he has used in previous movies, but he's saddled with a David Koepp script that doesn't quite do enough to fill out the 133-minute runtime. It doesn't help that the plot is perfunctory videogame stuff, with people having to collect samples of creatures from land, sea, and air, and one big set-piece completely works as well as intended . . . thanks to our old friend, the tyrannosaurus rex. 

Johansson seems to go through the motions with minimal effort, Friend is quite shiny and smug, and Bailey tries to exude charm throughout, but it's only Ali who feels like an actual star happy to have fun in a silly blockbuster. Which makes it a great shame that he feels relatively underused. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is locked in to his "concerned father" role, with nothing else to define him, and Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Audrina Miranda do okay with what they're given, even if they're not given the greatest material to work with.

I guess it's difficult, at this stage, to deliver something truly unique and fresh in the Jurassic movies. So maybe they should stop making them.  If I'm feeling generous, I'll give credit to two exciting sequences here, both set on water. Again, as mentioned earlier, that's not enough for something with this runtime. Maybe newcomers will get more from it, but they would still get even more from first checking out the earlier films in the franchise. 

5/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share 

Wicked (2024)

I am fortunate to have seen the musical Wicked live on stage in Edinburgh. It's one of those musicals that almost everyone has seen nowadays, or so it seems, but there's also a prohibitive price element to live musical theatre that makes any major movie adaptation an appealing option to those unable to afford the time and money of a big trip to a live show. I'm not making any major complaint here, by the way, but just putting forward a reason why this film would seem like such a great idea in the first place. You have a built-in fanbase and you have a whole group of people who may be converted into fans once they finally get the chance to experience it.

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, a young Oz resident with green skin who has a natural talent for magic. That puts her on a path that will one day lead to her being known as the Wicked Witch Of The West, of course, but we end up seeing the start of her main journey at Shiz University, where she ends up sharing a room with the vain and slightly ditzy Galinda/Glinda (Ariana Grande). Elphaba also has a wheelchair-bound sister (Nessarose, played by Marissa Bode) that she cares about more than anyone else in her immediate vicinity, although she soon starts enjoying her time being privately tutored by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). She's doing so well that she may end up actually gaining an audience with The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). There's also an anthropomorphic goat (Dr. Dillamond, voiced by Peter Dinklage) teaching history classes, a young man who thinks life is better for those who don't bother applying themselves to their studies (Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey), and a munchkin (Boq, played by Ethan Slater) who finds himself spending time with Nessarose for the sake of impressing Galinda.

Written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, adapting the book by Holzman (with music by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, the latter having written the music and lyrics for the stage version), itself adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire, stemming from the evergreen classic fantasy tale from L. Frank Baum, Wicked is helped by a great blend of wit, earnestness, and eye-catching choreography that allows everything to gather momentum on the way to a final act that makes the film feel much shorter than the 160-minute runtime. Director Jon M. Chu is also a valuable asset, and this is a reminder of just how many times he has done excellent work with major song and dance elements, either in his features or in his many music videos. It's a shame that I don't have time to list off every other main contributor though, because this has great care and attention to detail running throughout every scene, from the gorgeous costuming and accessories to the sets, the shot choices and framing, the makeup, and so much more.

Then we have the cast. Erivo has been a huge talent to keep an eye on for some time now, which makes it no surprise that she's such a great choice for her role. Grande, on the other hand, is making a huge leap here, but she does absolutely fantastic work for every minute that she's onscreen. Obviously able to handle the singing and dancing, she shows a great knack for playing the naïveté and comedy of her character. Bailey also provides a good bit of comedy, as well as obvious complications when everyone starts having feelings that aren't necessarily reciprocated, while both Bode and Slater try to do their best in characters that may yet become more important before the full tale is told. Because, yes, it's good to remember that this is only the first of a two-parter. Dinklage does his Game Of Thrones voice well, with a layering of goat noises, Goldblum is a perfect choice for the charming charlatan that is the Wizard, Yeoh is her usual regal and imposing greatness, and there are very satisfying, and unobtrusive, cameos from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (AKA Elphaba Prime and Glinda Prime).

I was worried during the opening scenes, struggling to remember how the stage musical began and when I might recognise a memorable song, but things improved massively once the opening titles came up. The characters start to interact in fun and interesting ways, and the music really starts to have the desired effect by the time our leads belt out "What Is This Feeling?" Other highlights include "Dancing Through Life", "Popular", "One Short Day", and, of course, "Defying Gravity". Not every number is great, but the better ones more than make up for those that don't quite hit the highest heights.

I put this viewing off for far too long. I won't be making that mistake when part two is released. This is a very rewarding and rewatchable musical treat. Fans of all things Oz-related should find plenty to enjoy, and newcomers should also end up being won over as they watch the familiar story of a young woman being villainised simply for refusing to be passive and controlled. There is wickedness on display here, but it doesn't come from who might be the most likely candidate in your own preconceptions.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share