Rating: 
Summary: ADULTS who like great movies, will love Chicago
Review: Let me frst say that I'm not a fan of musicals. I thought Moulin Rouge was daring but empty. Chicago is an incredible film, highlighted by its revolutionary way of blending the musical numbers with acting. The idea that the preformances were part of Roxie's mind is brilliant. The BEST movie (not named Two Towers) of 2002 !!
Rating:
Summary: WOWZA!
Review: This is my favorite movie of all time. The plot/story-line was much better than I expected. Each musical number was better than the one before. I hated the movie to end. Each OSCAR the movie recieved was well deserved. The stars shined in this glitzy glamourous musical. I say, you MUST see it.
Rating:
Summary: Chicago Rocks !!
Review: Chicago is great !! Richard Gere & Catherine Zeta Jones will knock your socks off with their musical talents. Renee Zellweger & Queen Latifah will be a surprise-they are really good.
Catherine Zeta Jones is beautiful, a great actress AND also Sings & Dances better than any.
It's old time Chicago at its best. Richard Gere is excellent
as lawyer Billy Flynn. The story is interesting, funny and
leaves one feeling elated after seeing it.LUVED this musical/movie.
From-- N.J.
Rating:
Summary: Razlle Dazzle Them
Review: Roxie Hart (Renee Zelleweger), dreaming of being a Jazz Lounge singer like Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), kills the man she's having an affair with when he crushes those dreams. Off to prison she goes, where she learns about "Reciprocity" w/ Mama Morton (FABULOUSLY played by Queen Latifah- I think she almost stole the whole show) and about how the "6 Merry Muderesses" came to Cook County in a wonderful rendition of "The Cell Block Tango". Where's the guy? Lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) who Roxie imagines as only caring about "Love" but who really is a fast talking con artist with a law degree who can convince the press of anything ("They Both Reached for the Gun") and "Razzle Dazzle"'s the Audience- er Jury and Tap Dances around a "tricky" witness. Yes, Richard Gere taps and it's wonderful. Don't forget to see "Mr. Cellophane"- The number done by Roxie's husband Amos; Velma's "Act of Desperation"; but of course the name on everyone's lips is going to be "Roxie". It got sex and humor- isn't that all that anyone cares about in movies these days? But, it really has so much more. It's brining back the musical! For people who liked Mulan Rouge- just remember that shows like Chicago have been on stage a long time. Putting them on the screen is NOT an (as one review said) "imitation" of Mulan Rouge. Chicago is fabulous. If you're "wary" about it because it's a musical, rent it or watch it with someone who IS a musical person first, but I promise you'll want it when you see it. And, as Billy Flynn says, "That's Chicago."
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty well done adaptation to the screen...
Review: ... this show is one of my favorite musicals, along with Cabaret, Assassins, Parade, and A New Brain... I love Kander and Ebb, one of these reasons is the fact that their shows are usually not your stereotypical; boy meets girl, boys falls for girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back musicals (like Moulin Rouge)... not very exciting if you ask me. This adaptation to screen was pretty well done, although Bob Fosse was roling in his grave when they announced the cast, don't get me wrong these actors are fine in traditional films, but to bring them to the world of musicals (especially Gere) is a bit of a slap in the face to Broadway actors... where are the New York stars? Yes Taye Diggs is in the show (a bit) but that's where it ends... and Gere's tap dancing (when they cut to just his feet and the steps got harder) was dubbed in by a professional dancer, so anyone praising his moves can stop... yes he did a few easy, beginner steps, and then you couldn't see him anymore... I liked Catherine the best, and Rene wasn't as terrible as I thought she would be, but believe me the performances would have been 10 times better had the filmakers taken a chance and not put stars in (and opted for actual MT actors)... although they wouldn't have gotton the Oscar, and that's what making films is all about, right? (I'm kidding)... So lets just say, it's a whole helluva lot better than A Chorus Line (the worst film adaptation of a great broadway musical ever) but doesn't quite come near Cabaret (my favorite adaptation of a great broadway musical) but I think that's just because we lost the greatest Broadway director-choreographer Mr. Fosse before he could make the film (which he was supposed to do in 1989)... but hey for a bunch of people who normally wouldn't be dancing and singing on a stage, they did a pretty good job.
Rating:
Summary: My Kind of film, CHICAGO is...
Review: After a couple of decades in development, CHICAGO finally completes the journey from stage to screen. Among the many delays included the difficult job of making such a theatrically conceptual show work on celluloid. In fact, the shows creator Bob Fosse worked unsuccessfully in making it happen himself. He did eventually give up. As the story goes, many years later he did come up with a solution and tried to put CHICAGO the movie back on track, but he died before he could properly explain the concept. Enter Rob Marshall. He was asked my MIRAMAX pictures to come in and talk about a movie version of RENT. He was a natural for the film as he was awarded a "Tony" for his direction of the recent revival of CABARET and had received critical acclaim for his movie version of ANNIE done for the folks at Disney. On Marshall's RENT interview he instead pitched his concept for CHICAGO which we now see onscreen. This concept addressed a common concern about Movie Musicals. On stage, when a musical number ends, the audience applauds, which carries the story on. When watching a movie musical on film, the audience rarely applauds which often leaves an awkward silence. So, Marshall took a clue from the film version of CABARET (Directed by Bob Fosse) and placed many of the numbers in a 'dream sequence' Cabaret setting. Now he had an audience when he needed it. Even after Marshall was on board the show was suffering. There were castings that fell through. At one point Goldie Hawn was to take on Roxie with Madonna as her Velma. John Travolta as Flynn? Britney Spears in a role? The final cast had an extremely positive effect on the film, with most acknowledged with Golden Globe and or Oscar wins. Some of the songs were cut in the transfer. "A Little Bit of Good", "I know a girl","Me and my baby" and "My own best friend" will never be seen while "Class" was filmed but cut from the final edit. That may be available as a 'bonus" or reincorporated into the film when it makes an appearance on DVD. With the many cut songs, the film was able to put more focus on 'reality'. This is very well done by the screenwriters as they juggle the 2 worlds. In my opinion it is an Oscar Worthy Screen Adaptation. The marketing campaign for the film was pretty interesting. A classy triple set of posters and a very dramatic trailer where released. Both downplay the musical aspect altogether. This may support the idea that Director Rob Marshall put forth. They also gave the film a very limited early release and let word of mouth introduce it to the country. The plan worked like a charm as Chicago was nominated for 13 Oscars... Winning six of them: BEST PICTURE
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Zeta Jones)
BEST EDITING
BEST ART DIRECTION
BEST COSTUME DESIGN and
BEST SOUND Of other note is the great musical score created by Danny Elfman, which is given 2 tracks on the soundtrack album. But the soundtrack album also includes an extra 'hip-hop' recording of the Cell Block Tango that is better left unsung. Oh, well. I guess they're in it for the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Chicago: City of weak shoulders
Review: An amazing achievement: A truly boring musical. All the choreography has been removed, replaced with quick camera cuts and distorted views. Slow and uninteresting.
Rating:
Summary: A five star motion picture
Review: I am not a movie critic, but I believe that a movie needs a star for entertaining, another for a deeply developed theme, one more for artistic skills, a fourth for great performances, and a final for a great coordination of the parts. This five star movie will definitely keep you out of the day to day life, giving fun to the spectator. Based on a hard theme, where crime and corruption are the central focus of the scheme, the artistic development of the film transforms it into an exiting drama, where the performances got a great level of achievement. The women in the film, actresses, singers and dancers, were all simply extraordinary, and the climate created by the artistic directors was very delicate, and elaborated, making beautiful refferences to criminal attitudes and antisocial behaviors.
About the direction, all I can say is that Rob Marshall did a great job, placing all the parts of the movie all so well together, and giving the movie a great and complex binding between the musical format and the screen.
Rating:
Summary: Over rated
Review: If I would of wanted to see Chicago,the play, I would of gone to the theater not to the cinema. The adaptation from play to movie lacks the whole point of what cinema is for, imagination!!! Most dancing scenes have a black background with only a few actors dancing that lack skill. The film lacks movement, choreography and scenery. The acting is preposterous and the music is a joke. American cinema at its worst. If you want to see good musicals watch Moulin Rouge and Dancer in the Dark
Rating:
Summary: A nice surprise
Review: It is nice from time to time, see Hollywood trying again for dreaming. This movie takes you to a world of fantasy and pleasure. The truly domain of movie makers as dream makers. Plus, a touch of 30's glamour with good music and dancing. Chicago is, after all, a nice mild of Bob-Fose & golden Broadway 's squeezed on a film format. History environment and dilemmas of justice system are just marginal notes. Likely, personal acting of Richard Gere is limited to dancing and showing all but the show, not himself nor the insight of his character. Great job of Renée Zellweger who looks beautiful and dances better, and also of Catherine Zeta Jones who, despite Oscar-award, should have share laurels. However, a special note shall be made on Queen Latifah, dancing and singing with sexy, well tuned and plenty of swing style: simply unforgettable. If you wish to have a good time, do not wait.
| 
