Since landing in theaters on November 22, “Wicked” has left a lasting impact and imparted a range of emotions on its audiences. With the movie being based on the long-running Broadway musical of the same name that premiered over two decades ago in 2003, director Jon Chu and composer Stephen Schwartz made a unique choice to split the two acts of the musical into two separate movies. The highly anticipated Part Two is set to release in a year on November 21, 2025. In the lead roles, Tony award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba while Grammy-winning Ariana Grande plays Glinda – two outstanding choices. Other notable features include Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. The synopsis of the movie from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) reads, “Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.” “Wicked” tells this story and does so much more.
The plot of “Wicked” in its movie format is much more in-depth than the Broadway version. This, of course, is in part due to its length, with the movie’s first part being equal to the length of the entire stage production. With this extra time, directors and writers added exciting foreshadowing, deeper lore, clearer character development, and well-paced transitions. This extended version was clearly thought out and well-executed, and gives viewers a more fulfilling and exciting watching experience, even including subtle easter eggs that allude to the original Wizard of Oz story by Lyman Frank Baum.
Secondly, it is clear the set designers put their heart and soul into this production, recreating Oz with as little computer-generated imagery (CGI) as possible; a whopping nine million real tulips were planted for the iconic Field of Poppies, as reported on “ABC News.” Even more, the Emerald City Express, the local bullet train, was made to be 106 feet long, according to Elle Decor. The intricacies, scale, and expansiveness of the props is mind-boggling to say the least. As for the rest of the set, the city appears futuristic and whimsical, and the color palettes are cohesive. These choices are excellent in the standard showing, as well as IMAX. My only critique of the Image Maximum (IMAX) screening is that the coloring was darkened by the provided 3D glasses.
The casting was very impressive. With such experienced actors, characters came alive in a raw and vulnerable depiction, allowing the audience to relate and sympathize. Some doubted Grande’s ability to perform such a demanding role as Glinda, but in my opinion, she blew it out of the park. Her vocal range in the opening number, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” left me jaw-dropped. In the song, Grande hits an E7 note, which is two and a half octaves above middle C. If you know nothing about music, just know that it is incredibly difficult and requires an immense amount of training and range.
Unfortunately, Boq, as a character, was mediocre. His character, played by Ethan Slater, felt similar to Slater’s past role as SpongeBob.This took away from the individuality of Boq, and he did not feel as distinguished as the other roles featured. In contrast, Bailey’s role of Fiyero was commendable. He embodied the fluidity of Fiyero’s charm that captured the hearts of many audience members in a comedic and memorable way. This was evident in his arrival to Shiz, and during the “Dancing Through Life” number. At least, he didn’t present Fiyero as a mindless idiot, but simply someone who believes in existential nihilism — or so it seems.
Of course, we can’t forget the gravity-defyer herself, Erivo. Her renditions of “I’m Not That Girl” and “The Wizard and I” were outstanding. Erivo added so much emotion into her voice, expertly conveying the desire to be accepted while masking it with overwhelming confidence. Overall, the selected cast broke expectations in more ways than one and left viewers feeling seen through the characters they played.
It’s safe to say that “Wicked” is added to the list of great musical-to-movie adaptations. The sets, costumes, talent, and complexity were awe-striking. After the disappointment of “Mean Girls,” another musical turned movie released early this year, “Wicked” was refreshing. Part Two is highly anticipated, and it will be exciting to see what they do with the second act. If you enjoy creative media, then “Wicked”: Part I is a must-see.
Rating: 4.5/5
