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(Courtesy IMDb )   The big screen adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s literary revisionist take on L. Frank Bain’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , as well as the Broadway smash that it inspired, was such a cultural phenomenon last year. But remember, that was only Act I. After a year-long “intermission,” the anticipated second half, now known as Wicked: For Good , arrives in theatres this holiday season, likely to bring audiences (both young and old) in droves. However, viewers may not be prepared for what’s in store, as far as the concluding arcs of Elphaba, Glinda, and the citizens of Oz are concerned.  Elphaba and Glinda (Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively) have gone their separate ways, with the former declared/labeled an enemy of Oz while the latter is forced to play the heroine (and representative for hope), even though she can’t produce any actual magic herself—unlike her former schoolmate. Amid themes of gaslighting and corruption, as well as personal, emotional, p...

(Courtesy YouTube )  The Croods (2013)  When DreamWorks Animation transitioned from Paramount to 20th Century Fox in the early-2010s, it was the dawn of another new era (both figuratively and literally). So it was fitting that their first feature under this new partnership centered around a nuclear family of primeval Neanderthals, forced to leave their cave—and change their ways—when their world and everything they know is coming to an end.  Said family, known as the Croods, consists of teenage daughter Eep (voiced by Emma Stone), who longs to see the world beyond her family’s cave; concerned and caring matriarch Ugga (Catherine Keener); cheerful son Thunk (Clark Duke), stubborn Gran (Gloris Leachman), and animalistic little girl Sandy. All are led by the well-meaning but overprotective patriarch Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage), whose bedtime stories, for one, always end in death, in order to convince his small clan that anything “new” is always dangerous. One day (for wha...

(Courtesy IMDb )   The visionary and skillful Guillermo Del Toro has held a lifelong dream of adapting Mary Shelley’s enduring and haunting novel Frankenstein into a feature film , but with his own distinct spin and ingredients. Given his impressive resume and unique trademarks to date, it makes sense that he would be the right person to introduce the brilliant but complicated Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation to a new generation. Not to mention one that doesn’t hold back on the violent consequences of playing God.  Reportedly more in line with Shelley's novel than many previous adaptations, this Netflix-produced Frankenstein (which had a limited release in theatres before premiering on the streaming service last week) balances character-driven acts/chapters between Oscar Isaac's Victor and Jacob Elordi's quiet but layered Monster. The narrative ( also written for the screen by Del Toro ) alternates between Past and Present, with scenes that go back to Vic...