Idina Menzel World Tour Wembley Concert Review
The Set List
Defying Gravity , Don’t Rain on My Parade, Brave, I Stand, The Wizard and I, River, Love For Sale/Roxanne, There’s No Business Like Show Business/Anything Goes/ Everything’s Coming Up Roses, Still I Can’t Be Still, Creep, Take Me or Leave Me, No Day But Today, Always Starting Over, Let It Go.
Encore: Child, Tomorrow.
The Good
Tony Award winning theatre icon Idina Menzel is now a record breaking global superstar, adored by generations of fans around the world as the voice of Frozen Disney princess Elsa. After Oscar glory and the unprecedented pop culture phenomenon of Let It Go, it’s fitting that Menzel fulfills one of her own admitted life ambitions to play to a delighted crowd in Wembley Arena.
Menzel has a staggering vocal power which burst from the stage with every note of every ballad. There’s a deep rich tone to her voice and an unashamed theatricality to her performance, honed through years of Broadway and West End productions. She’s a true show stopping diva, of a caliber rarely seen.
Playing to over 10,000 people tonight in the cavernous arena, the ever undaunted Idina delivers a crowd pleasing section of familiar songs that serves almost like a musical autobiography. The set combines ionic tracks from productions like Rent and Wicked with covers that pay heartfelt homage to Menzel’s own musical influences.
Opening with Defying Gravity gives audiences the instant satisfaction of hearing the definitive version of Elphaba’s uplifting ballad. Though many talented performers have followed in her footsteps, nobody ever truly matches Wicked’s original star Menzel. Idina speaks with fond passion about the all the productions that made her a star. It’s especially poignant to hear her pay an emotional tribute to Rent creator Jonathan Larson before delivering a tear stained version of No Day But Today. These are the songs that won Menzel a devoted following before she ever became ‘Disney famous’, and they clearly mean just as much to her as her fans.
Menzel has a close connection to her fans and there’s no better way to show that than by literally rushing off the stage to sing among and with them. During a jaunty rendition of Take Me or Leave Me, Idina races around the crowd to duet with stunned fans, before dragging some of the most talent singers back on stage with her. It’s a perfect embodiment of the beautiful spirit of community and mutual love that often distinguishes theatre stars from their pop and rock star counterparts.
Menzel is fully aware she’s part of a proud legacy of bold stage divas and she pays frequent homage to that with covers of classic songs by Ethel Merman and Julie Styne. More contemporary covers of acts like Radiohead, The Police and Joni Mitchell prove to show Menzel’s own range as an artist and unsurpassed skill as a vocalist.
Of course for most fans, the true bucket list moment of the night is undoubtedly helping Menzel proudly blast out a belting rendition of Let It Go. It’s the song which single handily made her an instant household name around the world, beloved by children and relieved parents alike. Live, she attacks the endlessly played song with joyous enthusiasm. Indeed, the true secret of the song’s unique success and global appeal is that it encapsulates the spirit of bold anthemic optimism embodied in much of Menzel’s work. Let It Go is a song defined by Idina Menzel, not just a song that defines her.
It’s hard to imagine any encore that could possibly surpass the power ballad might of Let it Go, but closing out a set with Tomorrow from Annie is a beautiful way to leave audiences indeed.
The Bad
Younger fans may be a little traumatized to learn that when she’s not letting it go as Queen Elsa, Menzel also has a habit of letting f-bombs go on stage. Menzel’s between songs chatter is endearingly sassy and frequently foul mouthed. Though admittedly it’s highly amusing and quite charming for the mostly adult crowd to see Menzel knowingly show off in front of fellow grownups for a change.
The fiercest critics might point out that Menzel mostly sings material written by other people or borrowed from other artists. But that would do a cruel disservice to the transformative power of her unique voice and emotional performance. For example, when Menzel delivers her heart wrenching version of Radiohead’s Creep, backed by the heavenly crescendo of a big band, it’s fragile and triumphant in ways which arguably eclipse the original version.
The Ugly Truth
Idina Menzel is a delightful diva with a powerhouse voice big enough to dominate any stage and enchant any audience. Working her way through a well-chosen hit list of show tunes and show stoppers she gave London an unforgettable night and a flawless dive masterclass.
The Longest Ride Review
The Plot
When a young couple save an old widower from a fatal car crash, their relationship becomes intertwined with flashbacks of his own past as he reflects on his past love.
The Good
Fresh from riding bathtubs with George Clooney in Tomorrowland, Britt Robertson switches Clooney for Scott Eastwood in the latest big screen adaptation based on the seemingly endless supply of Nicholas Sparks novels.
The Longest Ride has everything Nicholas Sparks fans know and love. From the intertwining storylines that juxtapose relationships from two different time periods, to the generic poster of the two leads looking longingly into each others eyes while casually advertising an idyllic American country life.
As Robertson’s Sophia, an art student, reads countless love letters back to Ira (Alan Alda) while he recuperates from his car crash, it will come as no great surprise that Ira’s relationship with his recently deceased artist wife Ruth, bears some striking similarities to her own relationship with her bull rider boyfriend, Luke (Eastwood).
Of the two interconnecting stories Ira and Ruth’s is slightly more interesting than Sophia and Luke’s. The chemistry between young Ira and young Ruth – played respectively by Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin – feels a bit more fleshed out, with the fact that their story follows them through to old age probably being the main reason for this.
The Bad
Sophia and Luke’s story is much less believable and at times, annoying. After their very first date, Sophia decides to almost preemptively end the chance of a relationship as she prepares to move to New York for an internship, a move that would undoubtedly cause some strains in a new relationship. But this being a Nick Sparks film, the spark is there from the very beginning (if you’ll pardon the pun) and of course we couldn’t have the relationship end so early and sensibly.
Then there’s the ‘opposites attract’ side to the relationship, which can be found in both Ira and Ruth and Sophia and Luke’s storyline, with the girl being the artsy type but the guy not being able to understand art at all. However in Sophia and Luke’s story, the difference between the two is amped up slightly by Luke’s career as a professional bull rider. In a Rocky Balboa move, Luke carelessly continues a career which is slowly but surely increasing the chance of his death. While he certainly has a motive to continue the career his father had, for most of the film it’s not motive enough.
The Ugly Truth
The Longest Ride is instantly recognizable as a Nick Sparks romance and has everything fans of his expect and enjoy from surely one of the most prolific names in the romance genre today. Though it has some issues with half of it’s main storyline, there’s still enough in there to keep you entertained.
Mr. Holmes Review
The Plot
In 1947, Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) is retired and nearing the end of his life. With his memory fading, he tries to write the story of his final case with help from his housekeeper’s young son.
The Good
Sherlock Holmes is a character who has lived a cinematic life that spans the length of cinema itself with countless iterations of quite simply the most influential literary detective ever created. While the most recent examples come from Robert Downey Jr and of course Benedict Cumberbatch, Mr. Holmes brings a incredibly interesting take on the famous detective with McKellen’s Holmes slowly deteriorating from the genius he once was.
Adapting Mitch Cullin’s A Slight Trick of the Mind, writer Jeffrey Hatcher, splices moments from Holmes’ final case among his final days spent reflecting back on his extraordinary life. Director Bill Condon’s beautiful visuals of the english countryside provides a worthy backdrop to this much more personal take on the iconic Holmes’ character.
It’s McKellen who is of course the driving force in this story though. He manages to perfectly portray Holmes as both the strong confident detective from thirty years prior, and the frail time ravaged figure he becomes in 1947. Praise must also be given to Milo Parker who has the honour of playing almost the new Watson in young Roger, Holmes’ housekeepers son who helps him in his quest to recall how exactly the final case ended and more importantly, what made it his final case.
The Bad
While the performances and cinematography throughout Mr. Holmes are indeed stellar, the film does seem to lack the scope it needs to distinguish it as a worthy cinematic film. Perhaps it is the case that Holmes’ is revisiting, which revolves around a man who seeks his talents in solving the mystery surrounding his wife, that makes Mr. Holmes feel ever so slightly better put to use on BBC1 as a festive drama special. It is produced, after all by BBC Film.
The timing of this release also feels a little misjudged. Mr. Holmes doesn’t feel right competing alongside summer blockbusters like Jurassic Park. Had it been released around October/November time, when the Oscar contenders start to poke their heads into the public view, Mr. Holmes could very well have earned an awards nod for McKellen. A June release means that ironically it will likely be long forgotten by the time of next years awards season.
The Ugly Truth
Mr. Holmes is an interesting look at a character whom audiences around the world are all too familiar with today, that gives a much more personal and poignant view of the detective in his final years. McKellen gives an awards worthy performance that unfortunately even if perhaps the production would overall have been better suited to the small screen.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Entourage Review
The Plot
The boys are back and this time it’s on the big screen. HBO’s hit show Entourage continues just months after where the final season left off. With movie star Vince (Adrian Grenier) single again after his failed (and short) marriage, he decides to make his next project his directorial debut, much to his agent turned studio boss Ari’s (Jeremy Piven) dismay…
The Good
It’s been almost four years since Vince, E (Kevin Connolly), Drama (Kevin Dillon) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrera) were last seen jetting off to Vince’s impromptu wedding with a british reporter and it seems that nothing has changed. Opening with a lavish party on a yacht, the storyline is almost instantly brought back to it’s original state with Vince’s marriage now officially annulled after just a few days (Britney Spears’ marriage was shorter though according to Turtle).
Even Ari is back! Last seen taking an early retirement to save his marriage, the foul mouthed agent is back and as angry as ever in his new role as studio head. Try as he might, Ari’s anger issues can never be simmered down and no one is safe when things start to go wrong at work. Not even a framed picture of cute kittens.
Entourage brings back all the characters and tropes that made the show such a hit while adding some more great cameos that the show is famous for. Of course Gary Busey turns up again, but we also get Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment as Texan father-son financiers who start making problems for Vince’s new movie – a futuristic sci-fi take on the Jekyll and Hyde story.
Meanwhile Vince’s long suffering half brother Johnny ‘Drama’ Chase is still working towards his big break and it could come in the form of his small but pivotal role in Vince’s new movie. That is if the financiers don’t have a say in it…
The Bad
As the movie clearly hopes to attract a winder audience for Entourage there’s some inevitable exposition to catch newcomers up to what they missed out on over the past eight seasons. It’s just a shame that this comes in the awkward and dull form of a fake Piers Morgan behind the scenes look at Vince’s new film. Serving as a lazy and heavy handed way to educate new audiences about the childhood friends that form our heroic ‘Entourage’.
Unfortunately, and somewhat ironically for a show based on the business of Hollywood, Entourage doesn’t quite make the transition to the big screen. While it’s certainly a treat for fans to have more, the storyline feels like it could have been done just as well and probably cheaper in the form of a half season of the show.
If you were to play this back to back with the show itself, the only real proof that this is slightly bigger is the extended opening credits sequence which does nothing but replace the usual buildings upon which the cast and crews names would be emblazoned on with slightly bigger flashier ones.
The Ugly Truth
Entourage is a definite must watch for fans of the show who’ve been missing the boys since their departure from TV. For newcomers however, it’s probably not the best introduction, you’re better off buying the DVD box sets.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Jurassic World Review
The Plot
22 years after our first glimpse of man and dinosaurs reunited, the park is finally open. With a new name to distance itself from it’s past horrors, the island of Isla Nublar is now home to Jurassic World. But when a newly created dinosaur starts to outsmart its captors and roam free, no one is safe.
The Good
It’s been over two decades since audiences were first introduced to the idea of a dinosaur theme park and quickly terrified by the events that occurred in the original trilogy. But Jurassic World turns the terror up to 11 with four simple words: The Park Is Open.
With attractions galore, including a water show with a shark eating dinosaur, the park has definitely had a dramatic technological upgrade. Holograms have replaced the iconic T-Rex skeleton and human sized hamster balls have replaced jeeps. Jurassic World is everything a Jurassic Park fan needs in their life. Even the raptors are our friends now! Or more specifically Chris Pratt’s, playing a trainer/alpha raptor. Of course it’s not long until things go wrong. And if you thought there was no way to top the previous films, let me remind you: The. Park. Is. Open!
Director Colin Trevorrow mixes spectacle with sheer terror beautifully. Also providing warm fuzzy feelings of nostalgia through that familiar swooping soundtrack and plenty of nods to the original trilogy. It will have fans squealing with delight, before their squeals turn to screams as each dino attack brings even more adrenaline than the last.
Pratt is ultimately the star of the show for most of the 2 hours and it’s clear to see why. This is one actor who shows no signs of stopping any time soon. As proved by Guardians of The Galaxy, Pratt is a rare commodity, an irrepressibly charming and genuinely amusing action star. His beautiful co-star Bryce Dallas Howard also delivers some great action moments of her own.
Among all the mayhem and prehistoric carnage Jake Johnson (New Girl) with the help of Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is The New Black) gives audiences some much needed comic relief to slow our frantically beating hearts.
The Bad
The park itself looks fantastic but it feels as though we barely scratch the surface before the main action begins. Seeing as it’s our first proper look at the park in spectacular working order it does feel like a slight disappointment. It also seems that we can’t survive an entire movie without at least one slightly cheesy bit of romantic melodrama popping up. Though the tense atmosphere is continuous, it is occasionally broken up with an ever so slightly bonkers script that at one point ends up feeling like a Godzilla movie.
The Ugly Truth
Jurassic World is an almost perfect summer blockbuster, bringing constant nostalgia for fans of the original trilogy. Unfortunately it does fall short in completely wowing when it inevitably shifts its focus from the wonders of an actual working theme park to the predictable and at times ridiculous finale. One things for sure though, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen for a second!