Wicked Review

Defying Expectations

In all honesty I have never seen the original Broadway production of Wicked, nor have I listened to any of the music or know of the general story. Going into this film was a completely blind experience for me as I only knew of the sheer amount of time and effort put forth into the production design and the casting of two renowned singers in the lead roles. Since my viewing of La La Land back in 2016, I have had a soft spot of musical and Broadway productions. Fortunately, this works in Wicked‘s favor as it arguably the most enjoyable, fun, and vibrant movie experience I have had this year. It’s full of wonderfully realized characters, beautiful set designs, incredible vocal performances, and an intriguing story that stands on its own despite being a Part One.

Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.

Cynthia Erivo and Arianna Grande are fantastic as Elphaba and Glinda in the film. Both of them have their own unique character arcs, grow to learn new things, are challenged by their surroundings, and end the film in different places than they were in the beginning. Through Elphaba we see the struggle of prejudice and discrimination and through Glinda we see the power of royalty and affluence on an individual’s outlook. Their differences are what make their friendship feel truly earned and palpable. The dynamic between the two is played both for laughs and for powerful dramatic tension leading for a fascinating relationship to watch unfold on screen. Each actress brings a great weight to their characters that is felt throughout the entire story but bolstered all the more by their impressive musical talent.

Cynthia Erivo is a masterclass in singing as her voice ignites the screen and left goosebumps in my skin. I am getting them right now just thinking about her performance. Her vocal range is dazzling and impeccable and delivers a showstopper that is unfathomable for a singular human being. I am familiar with Ariana Grande’s musical talent from the 2010s era but she also has a wonderful singing voice particularly in her solo, Popular, a particular fun and vibrant highlight of the film. One thing my wife pointed out to me in the film is that they are singing all of the songs live on screen as opposed to an autotuned track where they lip sync. The ferocity of a feat this is to accomplish is astronomical to say the least. The talent to balance singing such high notes and octaves while also running, conversing, and displaying various emotions is one of the highest forms of talent I have ever witnessed.

All of the musical numbers are fantastic bolstered by excellent set piece design in addition to the vocal performances. This is absolutely a big budget film and every dollar of it is seen on screen with incredible set pieces, real life moving stages, and an authenticity that brings you into the world of Oz. It would have been easy for this film to just rely on CGI for a lot of the world, but instead the team elected to build everything from the school Shiz, to the city of Oz, to the train that takes them between lands, everything feels absolutely real and authentic showing the effort the filmmakers went through. This is to be praised on the highest accord.

The narrative of the film from what I am told faithfully adapts the first half of the play to great effect. I was invested in the narrative as I found myself rooting for both Elphaba and Glinda at different times. Their friendship and chemistry on screen is endearing and the places the story takes them makes the foresight of the tragedy awaiting prior to the events of The Wizard of Oz make the film have a great weight to it as you’re waiting to see just how these events unfold. It’s gripping yet fun and lively at the same time. The narrative offers many poignant moments of humor particularly for Grande as a standout in comedic timing. By the end of the gargantuan 2 hour and 40 minute runtime, I felt like I had witnessed a whole world of events that culminated in a showstopping finale that is one of my favorite endings to a film ever. A dramatic close with a firm sense of finality that kept me on the edge wanting more. Masterful.

Wicked is a film that has great care and intentionality behind it and these are the movies that we need to be seeing in theaters. The characters are lively, the actresses are giving it their all and performing at the top of their game, the producers build real live sets to bring you into the world, and everyone on set is having a grand old time. This is certainly a monumental movies for the year 2024. I am glad I saw this in theaters, and I am already itching to see it again for many reasons but chief among them is to see the performance of Defying Gravity (my absolute favorite from the film) performed yet again. Run to theater for Thanksgiving to see this film. Nay, don’t run, fly!

(A) Masterful