With another festive season upon us, that brings family drama and rambunctious youngsters. Maybe you need an escape, for you and your clan to just kick back and enjoy. You could check out that new Taylor Swift docuseries and concert on Disney Plus. Or you could also catch up with this year’s best. Sinners over on HBO Max, Frankenstein on Netflix. Hedda on Prime Video, just to name a few. And it’s always a great time introduce the grandkids to charming melancholy of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I will never get the sound of light piano underscored by Snoopy skating around the ice.
Speaking of Disney Plus, The Jonas Brothers dropped a Christmas special that is a wonderful diversion for all ages. In a creative decision out of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; the brothers are finishing a tour date and about to leave for the holidays at home. However, after an encounter with unconvincing Santa played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the fraternal bonds are tested from one challenge after another. As personalities go, the script really leans into established lore. Bad boy Joe wants to party. Bland dad Kevin is along for the ride. And uptight Nick just puts up with them.
There is a plot about Joe meeting an old flame and reconnecting. One aspect which added a bit of verisimilitude was Nick and Kevin’s actual spouses and kids show up. Their parents and Frankie included, make for a grand finale.
Even though it came out close to a month ago, Wicked For Good is still going strong at the box office. Picking up where the first left off, the second works much like the second half of the original musical. The consequences of every character’s actions come to fruition here. Elphaba has become a resistance leader against the Wizard, working toward animal equality within the land of OZ. Glinda has been appointed the good witch and is given a role within the Emerald City. However, she still frets about Elphie and how she is. Their friendship still endures even after the events of part one.
Whereas the first was more Cynthia Erivo’s show, the second half is more Ariana Grande’s journey from a naive spectator into active participant. She wants to keep the peace but at what cost would that be? Some have said that this film is much weaker than the first because of the splitting of the acts. But given the nature of the Broadway show, this was the only right way to present these halves. If told as a full film, the tonal whiplash would be so great as to null any of the emotional payoffs. By making the choice, director Jon Chu allows time to build the story. As in the film, the year that passes coincides with the year in-between releases. It feels as if there were story that happened while we were waiting for this next installment. The second criticism involves how Dorothy and his minions are handled. Again, there is little to no mention or sight of them in the stage play. Dorothy is merely a pawn in the great schemes of the Wizard and the witches. In fact, I think the way Chu portrays her as silly girl blithely unaware of what is happening was downright comical. There is just one continuity error from the first film that somewhat breaks the magic, but that is minor in the larger picture presented here.
Everything from the sets to the acting to the impressive makeup designs, each element coalesces into a breathtaking tableau. Our leads give such a heartfelt rendition of the title tune that I teared up right in the theater. Go see this on the biggest screen possible. If you have seen it already, go see it again. The magic of L. Frank Baum is writ large across the screen and in the music. A film so resilient, no water can melt it.
