Wicked , the film adaptation of the broadway musical based on the untold story of the Witches of Oz, has finally hit screens after over 20 years of anticipation.
The plot follows Galinda and Elphaba who would later go on to become The Good Witch of The North and The Wicked Witch of The West and their time at Shiz University.
Pink Goes Good With Green
This adaptation by Jon M. Chu has been met with online criticism since its first teaser dropped earlier this year, with people complaining about the colour grading and casting choices specifically, but not only is Wicked great, it’s one of the best stage-to-screen adaptations ever made, up there with Rob Marshalls’ Chicago (2002)
This reviewer was skeptical of the choice to cast Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda but the awards hype is correct, she’s that good. She perfectly balances her comedic moments with earnestness in the emotional ones. You can tell she deeply cares for the character and her rendition of Popular is hilarious as she dances around her dormitory room before spinning down the halls.
Cynthia Erivo, however, deserves just as much love and awards buzz. Her vocals are astounding and her character growth from outsider to self-acceptance is perfectly realised. The Wizard and I was an early musical highlight and Erivo delivered all the emotion that makes the song a fan-favourite.
The casting was overall perfect and even smaller roles like Bowen Yang as Pfanee make their mark. He’s a great reactionary character, alongside Bronwyn James as ShenShen, who are Glinda’s friends from the Wicked book series.
Dancing Through Life
Jonathon Bailey as Fiyero is undeniably “swoon worthy” as many critics have already written and Dancing Through Life is the films grandest musical number, given a poppy makeover from its stage counterpart which Bailey nails. His opt-ups also add a refreshing spin.
Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum as Madame Morrible and The Wizard are great in the little time they have on screen. Even with the expanded runtime they appear infrequently, and it’s a shame as both are fantastic actors, even if they aren’t the best singers.
That brings us to the elephant in the room. Yes, this Wicked film only covers Act 1 of the stage show, with the second part coming next year.
The decision to split the film in to two films was heavily discussed and speculated upon, would it be a shameless cash-grab or necessary?
The answer is that it was totally needed and it easily could have been even longer than the already hefty 2hr 40m runtime. Scenes are given a lot more breathing room than on stage, which especially works for the more emotional scenes such as the Ozdust Duet & Defying Gravity.
“Reminiscent of Hollywood’s Golden Age”
Chu’s direction, the production design and cinematography are reminiscent of Hollywood’s Golden Age. We rarely get something of this scale now. Having real environments for the actors to react with adds depth and the world feels truly lived in.
However, Alice Brooks cinematography includes some obnoxiously bright back-lighting which made some scenes hard to see, this was most noticeable in the Shiz library. While entirely over-exaggerated by wannabe twitter critics, it still has to be said that it is a blight on otherwise great sequences. But within the cinematography are some brilliant nods to The Wizard of Oz and some exceptional visual choices which prove Wicked’s worth as a film.
John Powell’s score is jaw-dropping and clearly also takes influence from the 1939 Oz film, while interpolating motifs by original songwriter Stephen Schwartz.
Schwartz’s original score is just as good after 20+ years and the changes to songs such as One Short Day, Popular and Dancing Through Life are welcomed. Defying Gravity becoming a whole action sequence was electrifying and made for an unforgettable finale.
Wicked is pure movie magic and is sure to win even the harshest of skeptics over with its expansive world, talented cast and energetic direction.
Featured Image Credit: Universal Studios
He/Him
Arts Editor 24/25
Press email: arts@brignews.com
