Wicked: For Good (2025) Review

Title: Wicked For Good
Year: 2025
Director: Jon M. Chu
Country: US
Language: English

Subjectively, I’ve never been a fan of The Wizard of Oz (1939). Despite appreciating its technical achievements, and enjoying Judy Garland in just about anything, the film has always felt a bit too creepy and off-putting for me (the whole “only bad witches are ugly” thing never sat right). Because of that, I spent years avoiding Wicked on principle, even as its Broadway reputation grew louder around me. It wasn’t until the story was finally adapted for film, and after hearing endless praise from friends, that I decided to give it a chance. To my surprise, I absolutely loved Wicked. I couldn’t wait to see Wicked: For Good. 

The story follows the aftermath of the events that shaped Elphaba and Glinda. While revisiting key moments of their intertwined past, the film examines how their choices ripple through Oz, influencing not only their own paths but the fate of the entire land.

Part One concludes on such a powerful, and literal, high note that it's inevitable that For Good  struggles to re-capture same impact. The second half depends heavily on the adrenaline rush from the first half, which works beautifully in a theatre where the intermission is only 15 minutes, but that built-in energy dissipates when there is a full year in-between the two films. It's as though For Good is in the shadow of its predecessor, rather than continuing as a single, running engine. Both parts of Wicked will likely be more successful on streaming and home-video, as it will be possible to watch both films back-to-back. 

This being said - Wicked: For Good is still an enjoyable musical. Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo's performances are remarkable; especially with the new ballads No Place Like Home and For Good. Both will likely be nominated for Best Original Song, and I'm certain For Good will win the award. The award-winning production design was impressive here, as well as the cinematography and costuming. Both parts of Wicked are certainly full of great cinematic achievements.

While Part Two doesn't live up to its predecessor (how can you top Defying Gravity!?) For Good is a memorable, worthwhile experience that resonated with me on an emotional level. I hope Erivo and Grande keep making musicals because their first two attempts have been incredibly impressive. 

The Smashing Machine (2025) Review

Title: The Smashing Machine
Year: 2025
Director: Benny Safdie
Country: US
Language: English

Produced by HBO, The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr (2002) was a landmark documentary released at a time when MMA (mixed martial arts) was still struggling for mainstream legitimacy. It’s almost hard to believe there was ever a “wild west” era for the sport, considering how massive MMA has become today. That’s what makes time-capsule stories like this so valuable; they capture the pioneers before the world caught up.

The Smashing Machine is a story based on the true events surrounding Kerr's life and rise through the MMA world which was unfortunately derailed by his opioid addiction.

The hype around The Smashing Machine was huge; there were standing ovations at Venice Film Festival, and plenty of talk about Dwayne Johnson in contention for a "Best Actor" Oscar for his performance. However, when  it finally hit theatres  the film bombed both critically and commercially. 

Johnson knows acting is more than putting on makeup, right? When you watch the original documentary, or even view real life interviews with Kerr on Youtube, you'll see that Rock doesn't sound, move, or behave like Kerr at all. The performance is essentially "Rock with makeup" rather than a full transformation. It's a really poor job. I doubt he'll even get a nomination. 

A large portion of the film's scenes are lifted directly out of the 2002 documentary, right down to word-for-word dialogue. Safdie's cinematographer, Marceo Bishop, aims for a gritty docu-drama look, but it's often at odds with the film's attempts to tell large-scale storytelling. The screenplay struggles as well. Safdie tries to juggle three stories  (addiction, love, and career) but two of them are resolved fairly abruptly with little payoff. 

The Smashing Machine could have been the next Raging Bull (1980) or The Wrestler (2008) but its execution failed to deliver, despite the hype surrounding it. Hopefully there are better films made about the same period of time, because the story of MMA is fascinating, and deserves to be explored by more creative people. 

One Battle After Another (2025) Review

Title: One Battle After Another
Year: 2025
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Country: US
Language: English

Never has a future "Best Picture" Oscar Winner been more obvious. Paul Thomas Anderson has made a lengthy career of important, enduring, and captivating films like Boogie Nights (1997), Hard Eight (1996), and There Will Be Blood (2007). The latter of which is often considered the best film of the last 25 years. One Battle After Another is PTA's most expensive production, coming in with a budget of $200 million. While it hasn't made its money back, it proves to be a great critical success with 90%+ of viewers giving positive feedback about their experience. 

One Battle After Another begins with the liberation of immigration camps, and bombing of government property; an announcement of the "motherfuckin' revolution" by a militant group known as the French 75'. Two members, Bob Ferguson  (Leonardo DiCaprio) & Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) fall in love. Perfidia encounters a deranged white supremacist named Lockjaw (Sean Penn) who finds himself infatuated with her. Lockjaw dismantles the group, but years later he returns to find his daughter. Bob Ferguson must do everything he can to save his daughter. 

Anderson created One Battle After Another, loosely inspired by Thomas Pychon's novel Vineland, from his desire to create a "chase" movie. The film has the suspense of great "chase" films (ex. No Country for Old Men) while also being very funny, and driven by social commentary about the state of America. Sean Penn does a great job at making Lockjaw a Terminator-esque force of nature, while also showing how warped the character's views are. The Christmas Adventurers, a group of powerful white supremacists who accept Lockjaw as one of their own, are portrayed with satire and irony. 

From a technical perspective; I can't see how One Battle of Another wouldn't win at least five academy awards. The score, composed by Johnny Greenwood, adds to the heightened sense of dread as Lockjaw gets closer to his goals. The Cinematography is remarkable; there are several shots I found myself incredibly impressed with, including the rollercoaster-like hill shots during the car chase near the end of the film. The editing keeps the film fluid; at nearly 3hours, One Battle After Another feels like a brisk experience. There are no scenes that feel like they aren't necessary. 

There are few modern-day movies that I can see audiences re-watching 25-30 years from now, but Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is clearly one of them. I think this is a film that will be studied in future University classes. This is going to sweep many awards shows.