.png)
I've never been able to see the original "Wicked" musical live, but I have watched a couple of slime tutorials (if you’re a musical theater fan, you know what I am talking about) and listened to the cast recording countless times. All of this is to say that I am a fan of the original musical, so I was excited. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little apprehensive as well. What the ad campaign doesn't tell you, but I think most people know at this point, is that this is part one of two.
Originally, I was kind of upset about it. I thought, "That's stupid. Why are they doing that?" As I've had time to process this announcement since it was made a year or two ago, I’ve warmed up to the idea. I thought ending Part 1 with "Defying Gravity" could work, especially since there's a time jump between acts one and two. The nervousness came back when I saw the runtime for the film. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, the movie is longer than the entire stage show.
I started getting more excited when early buzz for the movie began to come out, and luckily, the early buzz was correct. This is a very good movie and the adaptation "Wicked" fans have been waiting for (or at least the first half of it). I make that adaptation comment as someone who hasn’t read the books, but I do think there are things in here that will make book fans happy based on what I do know. "Wicked" takes the positives of the stage show, keeps what works, and adds some elements that make this story work better.
What helps this movie work so well is Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.
It's easy to connect to Elphaba; she's a misunderstood individual who has green skin, and
everyone in this society hates her because of it. On top of that, she is dealing with a power she cannot control. I haven’t really seen much of Cynthia Erivo in anything else, but she is fantastic as Elphaba. Not only is she a great performer, but she has a great voice too. This film’s version of "Defying Gravity" is what gets the most discussion—justifiably so—but seeing Cynthia Erivo’s performance of "The Wizard and I" in IMAX was magical.
Glinda is this bubbly character. She's popular and kind of manipulative, but Glinda has this
charm to her that makes you like her even when you don't like her. That is assisted by Ariana
Grande. Many—including myself—were a bit worried about Grande taking this role. I wasn’t
necessarily worried about her acting ability; I know she can act; I watched "Victorious" when it aired on Nickelodeon. My worry was more about whether her voice would fit the character since she is more used to singing pop tunes, but she was able to pull it off. Grande is very funny as Glinda; most of the comedy in this movie comes from her and her comedic timing. She also captures the growth of this character as the film goes on and she befriends Elphaba. You begin to like her more. I can see an Oscar nomination for both Erivo and Grande in the future.
The real backbone of this movie—as in the stage show—is the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba. Surprisingly, I actually thought the relationship was done better here, especially the scene in the Ozdust Ballroom where their friendship truly begins to bloom. There is an addition to that scene that is not in the stage show that helps you connect with these characters on a deeper level, which makes the ending of this movie more impactful as a result.Another great performance in this movie is Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. Jonathan Bailey is not someone I have seen a lot of, but he is really charming and funny here. You can understand why everyone is swooning over Fiyero.
However, he also plays something more underneath which is only hinted at in this movie. He's part of a love triangle with Glinda and Elphaba. The romance element in this movie is something that definitely could have used more work, and it contributes to the movie slowing down in the middle chunk. I’m hopeful it will get more development in Part 2. Luckily, this slow point doesn’t really hinder the film that much as right after it, you are off to the Emerald City and propelled into the climax.
Unfortunately, the lack of development also affects Fiyero a bit. While I liked his character and Bailey’s performance, there isn’t a lot of time focused on him. I wish some of the extra time in this movie would have gone toward his development, but I also understand why they didn’t go in that direction, and I’m sure he will get developed more come Part 2.
Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum aren’t in this a lot; Goldblum is The Wizard and Yeoh is
Madame Morrible. Their singing ability sometimes leaves something to be desired, but I thought they did well with the roles they were given, and they both play important roles.
Marissa Bode as Nessarose is a newcomer who also doesn’t get a tremendous amount to do,
but I do think she does a great job with what she does get to do; she'll also play a bigger part in Part 2 based on what I know about the stage show.
There are many practical sets in this movie; in fact, I believe they are mostly practical, which
really helps with the musical numbers—especially "Dancing Through Life," which uses rotating bookshelves. The sets, singing, and choreography all come together to ensure these musical numbers dazzle.
This film also has some interesting commentary with its plot involving animals. Animals are
being silenced in Oz; they are having their positions of power taken away from them without
knowing why, and we learn why this is happening as the film goes on. Helping these animals
sort of becomes Elphaba’s main motivation, and I think the commentary that comes with this
plot helps elevate the film.
One problem I do have with the movie is its color; it's not always an issue, but there are certain points where I wish the color was a bit brighter. The lighting could be better too—there's a lot of backlighting which I wasn’t a huge fan of. Some improvements with both color and lighting could have helped ease some criticisms others—and myself—have about this film.
Overall, "Wicked" is a good time at the theater with wonderful performances—especially from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—dazzling musical numbers, and interesting social
commentary. The problems with color and lighting may hurt your experience slightly, but how invested you get in this movie—and how much fun you are having—help overshadow these problems. I recommend seeing it on the largest screen possible.
Comments