Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Horrible. Simply Horrible.
Musicals used to portray a world so benevolent, an existence so happy, that people would spontaneously break out into cheerful, happy tunes. Now, at the start of a new century, the musical is back--but gone is the very "sense of life" that made the genre wonderful to watch. In its place is a cynical, malevolent world inhabited by seedy characters one finds a hard time respecting, much less keeping interest in. _Chicago_ is perhaps the most famous of the new type of musical and, as one would expect from the above, I found it painful to watch. The movie's main character is Roxie Hart: a confused little girl who desires fame first and then freedom--a freedom she hardly deserves having killed the guy she was sleeping on her husband with. Another is Billy Flynn: a media-hungry lawyer who desires only fame and money--both of which he recieves in the movie by the detestable means of freeing murderers. A character called Velma rounds off this group. She is a singer who starts off the movie's plot by killing her sister and husband in a jealous fit of excitement. What could be worse? A lot. The inter-action of this pathetic, immoral group of gutter-trash proceeds with a host of songs not celebrating life--but damning it. At one point a number is sung where a ton of prison-girls sing "he had it coming". These are not the villains of the movie, but the people the audience is supposed to be connecting with. Let me be clear: if you buy the movie being discussed and watch it you will be entering a world where you're supposed to sympathize with killers and with those who set them free. As such, one's personal response to a movie like this is telling. The reviews shown here, and throughout America, seem to suggest that this is a good movie (if not "the greatest of all time"), a movie that they like immensely. Well, to those who like this movie, to those who enjoy watching such filth, let me say the following: Speak for yourself, brother. There are still some people left who detest killers and their advocates--there still exist some who would rather watch heroes tap-dancing to raised champagne glasses than villains frolicking around to raised fists. I am one of those people and, as such, I think _Chicago_ is horrible. Simply and dreadfully horrible.
Rating: - Moulin Rouge is MUCH BETTER!
Despite not having original songs, Moulin Rouge is the much more entertaining musical. They have better sets, costumes, ACTORS, SINGERS, plot, songs, characters, dance sequences, and above all a story.
It was extremely weird that moulin rouge was practically shunned just for being a musical, but as soon as this came out, everyone has been hot to trot over it.
I hate Renee Zelllwedger with a passion, but adored Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge. She, unlike Renee, has talent in both acting and music!
I argee with whoever said that the only reason Chicago won Best picture was the fact the moulin Rouge was robbed at the Oscars!
This is my opinion on the matter of Chicago(hated it), and the fact is, people: MOULIN ROUGE IS THE BETTER AND MORE APPEALING TO LOOK AT MOVIE!!
If you want a good movie, see Moulin Rouge.
It's no wonder why moulin Rouge made #3 on the list of top musicals (following The Sound of music and West Side story), while Chicago is left hanging in the 20 range.
Rating:  - Great Songs and Great Performances
I've never seen the stage version of Chicago, so I can't say if the movie was faithful to the source material, but judged on it's own by a pair of fresh eyes, Chicago was a lot of fun, especially considering I'm generally not crazy about movie musicals. Maybe this one was a little more palatable to me because most of the musical numbers were staged as the daydreams/fantasies of Renee Zellweger's character Roxie Hart, a wanna-be Jazz baby singer/murderess awaiting trial for killing her lover. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars as Velma Kelly, a singer/dancer in the same prison for her murder of her stage partner/sister and Husband, who she found in the sack together. Richard Gere plays Billy Flynn, the money-hungry Lawyer representing them both. (He's portrayed as a Jazz-era Johnny Cochran.) All three leads acquit themselves nicely in the song & dance department, especially Zeta-Jones, but to me the real revelations were Queen Latifah (As the Prison Matron) & John C. Reilly (Amos, the cuckold Husband of the ruthless Roxie); Reilly's rendition of "Mr. Cellophane" is heartbreaking. (It seems like lately Reilly is in every other movie that comes out, and with the quality of his performances, it's easy to see why.) I also got a kick out of seeing Christine Baranski, Chita Rivera, and Mya in smaller roles. The songs are really catchy, and I think I'm gonna have to check out Chicago on stage next. Although the movie dragged in spots, I still highly recommend it, even if you don't generally flock to musicals.
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