Rachel Zegler – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS – Review by Susan Kamyab

March 20, 2023March 23, 2023 Susan Kamyab Asher Angel, DC Extended Universe, DCEU, Djimon Hounsou, helen mirren, James Gunn, lucy liu, Rachel Zegler, Shazam! Fury of the Gods

DC has always struggled to make solid, coherent superhero movies. One of the few times they got it right was with the first Shazam. Sadly, lightening fails to strike twice in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The first 45 minutes starts off strong, but as usual, DC doesn’t seem to learn that less is more. They quickly try to jam so much action and detail into the last half that the storylines get muddled, so you lose interest in the characters, and worst of all, the movie begins to drag.

Reviews

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS – Review by Nadine Whitney

March 16, 2023March 18, 2023 Nadine Whitney Asher Angel, DC Extended Universe, DCEU, Djimon Hounsou, helen mirren, James Gunn, lucy liu, Rachel Zegler, Shazam! Fury of the Gods

David F. Sandberg’s 2019 Shazam! felt like a breath of fresh air in the grim, dark world of the DC Extended Universe. The tale is about Billy Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi), a kid rejected by his family, the foster system, and the world in general. He finds a family and gets superpowers from a mysterious wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who gives him a quick rundown on what to do and then disappears into dust. It was rife with humour and pathos. Sandberg described the projects as Big with superpowers, and to an extent it was, but it was also about Billy coming to terms with his past and seeing how he had an opportunity to shape his future.

Reviews

WEST SIDE STORY – Review by Marilyn Ferdinand

December 31, 2021January 1, 2022 Marilyn Ferdinand (Archived Contributor) Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, Rachel Zegler, rita moreno, stephen spielberg, Tony Kushner, West Side Story

It’s hard to imagine what cinema would be like without remakes. From the lowliest programmers to the most bizarre arthouse films, no producer, director, or film star seems immune from thinking, “I wonder what I could do with that.” But taking on a remake of a film as beloved and revered as Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story (1961) is another matter.

Reviews

WEST SIDE STORY – Review by Susan Granger

December 22, 2021January 1, 2022 Susan Granger Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, Rachel Zegler, rita moreno, stephen spielberg, Tony Kushner, West Side Story

Steven Spielberg’s spectacular re-invention of West Side Story makes the classic Romeo and Juliet-inspired musical his own, subtly revising Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim’s 1957 Broadway hit, along with Robert Wise’s 1961 Oscar-winning screen adaptation.

Reviews

WEST SIDE STORY – Review by Pam Grady

December 9, 2021December 9, 2021 Pam Grady Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, Rachel Zegler, rita moreno, stephen spielberg, Tony Kushner, West Side Story

The most curious alteration director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner make to the American musical classic West Side Story in their hotly anticipated remake is to take away from the central couple Tony and Maria their tragic theme, “Somewhere,” a song of longing for a brighter future when all seems lost. Instead, they give it to Valentina, the elderly owner of the drug store, where Tony’s gang, the Jets, hang out.

Reviews

WEST SIDE STORY – Review by Diane Carson

December 3, 2021December 22, 2021 Diane Carson Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, Rachel Zegler, rita moreno, stephen spielberg, Tony Kushner, West Side Story

Director Steven Spielberg makes so many good choices for his remake of the iconic West Side Story. First, he respects the legendary, celebrated songs, showcasing their presentation through remarkable singing and dancing. Second, Spielberg infuses the 1957 story with serious contemporary issues, notably and always at the heart of the story, ethnic racism, plus rape, gang violence, and gentrification.