Plenty Of Well-Done Musical Numbers Pop Up In Chicago, Though, Sadly, There's No Pizza

We've had plenty of "ladies-in-prison" movies in the history of cinema, to the point that it's become its own subgenre so ubiquitous it inspired a fake trailer on Grindhouse. Such a concept has endured so much that it's even eeked over into television with Orange Is The New Black being a hugely popular show for four years now. Despite the huge amount of content fixated on the idea of women getting into shenanigans in prison, I doubt any other piece of "ladies-in-prison" pop culture is quite like the 2002 Rob Marshall movie Chicago, which is based on a hugely popular and long-running Broadway musical of the same name.

There's Too Much Running Wild In The Uneven Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

There's quite a bit that occurs in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, lots of plotlines that transpire in a two-hour running time, loads of magical creatures to meet and new characters to get to know. Despite the large amount of new content lumped onto the audience, it's surprising just how little of this new corner of the Harry Potter universe manages to really register. There's really not a unique tone that this production aspires to, nor are the distinctive time period or famous location (New York City) used to their fullest potential. Do not be mistaken, there are elements for sure in here that are fun or interesting, but the problem is most of the best aspects of Fantastic Beasts are either on the margin of the plot proper or don't get enough screentime to match their fullest potential.

The Purple Rose Of Cairo Has The Magic Of Movies Brought To Life

It is so much fun when a movie has a unique concept at the core of its story and it manages to fully utilize the creative potential behind said unique concept. Such is the case with Woody Allen's 1985 motion picture The Purple Rose Of Cairo, which feels similar to the director's 2011 effort Midnight In Paris (my personal favorite Woody Allen joint) in how it takes a very high-concept central idea and executes it in a more subdued character-centric manner. For Midnight In Paris, the heightened idea that drove the story was time travel, while The Purple Rose Of Cairo focuses on a character in a movie leaping off into the real world.

Magic In The Moonlight Review

The Magic Just Isn't There

I've always wanted to travel to exotic locations, namely ones in Europe. The stunning landscapes there would just be glorious to look at in person, not to mention looking at all the unique architecture several of those cities have. Magic In The Moonlight takes place at a location that reminded me of those exotic spots I eagerly desire to see, though hopefully any trip I take up there has a bit more substance to it than this underwhelming Woody Allen venture.