By George & Josh Bate
When discussing major fandoms, the likes of Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, and Lord of the Rings are among those that come to mind for many. But just as prominent, although in a different medium, are musical productions, of which few have garnered more adoration and fandom than Wicked. Debuting in 2003, the musical expanded on the world of Oz and has captivated audiences for over 20 years. Naturally, it was long after Wicked debuted that conversations began about a feature film adaptation. Initially announced in 2012, the film has experienced a lengthy development process, amplified by pandemic and strike-related delays, but now finally hits theaters in 2024 with an abundance of anticipation and excitement from admirers of the renowned musical.
Wicked (titled onscreen as Wicked: Part I as this film adapts the first half of the musical) takes place before the events of The Wizard of Oz and serves as an origin story for who would eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda, two residents of the Land of Oz who enroll in Shiz University. Coming from markedly different backgrounds, the two are treated differently at school, with the treatment toward the popular and beloved Glinda being in stark contrast to the disgust and social isolation facing the green-skinned Elphaba. Although the two initially develop a rivalry, an unlikely friendship forms that sets the duo on a path to become the witches we know from The WIzard of Oz.
It is important to note that we approach this review having never seen the musical Wicked. While we cannot speak to the faithfulness of the film in its adaptation of the musical production, we can comment on how well this story and the journeys of its characters unfold on the big screen and whether the film has appeal that reaches beyond fans of the musical. And, overall, despite some poor world-building and a narratively messy ending, Wicked proves to be a resounding success and is easily one of our surprise hits of the year. Saying as such is a true testament to the film’s quality given that we don’t have the reverence and nostalgia for the musical that many watching this film will have.
Things don’t start off this successfully, however, as the film stumbles out of the gate with a jumbled and poorly organized beginning. The first 15 minutes or so take place after the death of Wicked Witch of the West and, as such, serve as an epilogue to The Wizard of Oz. The audience is thrown into the film with little context, surrounded by the film’s least effective musical number and convoluted by disjointed flashbacks. All of this occurs before the beginning credits roll and, given the film’s bulky 160 minute runtime, takes up relatively little time, but nonetheless starts proceedings on uneven footing.
Once the beginning 15 minutes subside, Wicked gains momentum and, until its final act, just becomes better and better as it goes along. The rousing musical numbers, detailed production design, and stunning costumes all contribute to the film feeling like a true theatrical event – the kind of epic display of a movie that only comes about once in a while. Everything on screen is imbued with immense grandiosity as the film’s hefty budget is certainly made the most of. Jon M. Chu (known for directing Crazy Rich Asians and Step Up 2 and 3) crafts the film with a sense of real scale and spectacle fitting for an adaptation of such an iconic musical.
The only element that detracts from how grand the film ultimately feels is drab cinematography and lighting. When nearly every technical component of filmmaking – sound design, music, production design, costumes, acting, directing – excels so overtly, the relatively flat and uninspired approach to cinematography and lighting particularly stands out and doesn’t do the rest of the film justice. What results is a visually mixed movie, one that stuns in some regards while underwhelming with poorly lit scenes at times.
Not underwhelming though are the dual lead actors at the heart of the film. Even though we have not seen the musical Wicked, we have a sense of the gargantuan shoes that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande stepped into given the iconic status of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth’s performances. And, while we can’t draw comparisons between the performances on stage to onscreen, it can be stated that Erivo and Grande are perfectly cast in their respective roles.
By the differing nature of their characters, Erivo delivers a more reserved and subtle performance than Grande, but nonetheless plays Elphaba with incredible passion and vulnerability. Elphaba is an outcast, the black (or green) sheep of her family, who faces similar resentment when enrolling in university. Erivo plays Elphaba with an empathy and kindness, even in the face of such mistreatment, and never becomes dislikable when engaging in a rivalry with Grande’s Galinda. When the two eventually repair their tumultuous relationship in a touching and subdued dance sequence, Erivo delivers her best acting in the film and single-handedly sells how such two bitter rivals could eventually become dear friends so quickly.
Ariana Grande similarly shines as Erivo’s co-lead and steals nearly every scene she is in. Grande plays Galinda as a surprisingly endearing pretentious, yet quirky, character – someone so full of themselves who sees the world as revolving around them, but never to such an extent that we stop liking them. Grande deftly plays the often lost-in-her-own-world Galinda and is easily the most engaging element of the film. She elevates every moment she is in, bringing a wit and palpable energy that could appeal to even the most reluctant of musical viewers. Although Grande obviously has a successful career in music, with Wicked, she proves that she is a star meant for the big screen.
It is through these two performances, in particular Grande, and the development of Elphaba and Galinda’s relationship that Wicked most excels. Much of the film takes place while the two are students at Shiz University, and it is really enjoyable to see their relationship develop over the course of the film while contained to the school setting. Whether it be as their characters are warring rivals or dear friends, Erivo and Grande have electric chemistry that makes the film worth watching for that alone.
Meanwhile, the additions of Jonathan Bailey as the handsome prince Fiyero and Marrissa Bode as Elphaba’s sister Ness to the proceedings add more layers to the drama and make an already enjoyable movie even more captivating. Sneaky remarks and funny looks from Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as other students at Shiz also infuse the movie with a contemporary sense of humor that means Grande isn’t solely responsible for delivering the film’s laughs.
In addition to following Elphaba and Galinda’s friendship, Wicked also poignantly taps into themes of prejudice and isolation through its portrayal of Elphaba. The opening moments of the film establish a tragic mistreatment of Elphaba, based solely on the fact that her skin is green. The parallels between the mistreatment of Elphaba and race-based prejudice in the real world are not at all subtle in Wicked, but they are handled with genuineness and well-intention. The movie’s basic, yet extremely effective, exploration of these themes will resonate with anyone who has ever been marginalized for an identity they hold.
Concurrent with Elphaba and Galinda’s friendship journey, Wicked also features an animal welfare subplot that feels somewhat misplaced. Peter Dinklage voices Doctor Dillamond, a goat and professor at Shiz University, who faces hatred for being a goat in a world in which animals are increasingly marginalized. This subplot hovers in the background of the film, until it becomes surprisingly more prominent in the final act. Although its message is compelling and ties nicely into the theme of prejudice explored through Elphaba, the animal welfare plot comes across as a little forced and ill-fitting in an already packed film.
The film progressively improves from a poor start, although the narrative becomes muddled in the third act and with the introduction of Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz. Goldblum is serviceable in the role, but doesn’t deliver anything we haven’t seen from the actor before as he essentially is playing himself in the movie. In addition to including an uninspired turn from Goldblum, this final act also features several plot revelations that don’t quite work. The quality of world-building and mythology or lore of the land of Oz is already far from the heights of mythology-building in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and weak world-building becomes all the more evident as the third act tries to take the characters in a different direction with unexpected plot developments. All of this results in a messy ending which takes narrative turns that don’t seem justified or well-established.
That being said, Wicked concludes on a logical note in the story (apparently aligning exactly with the play’s intermission). Unlike many Part 1s of stories (like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I), which end rather abruptly, Wicked: Part I tells a complete story and doesn’t leave the audience feeling like they’ve only been told half the story. Yes, it is the case that this movie will be followed by Wicked: Part 2 and the story of Elphaba and Galinda will continue. However, Wicked: Part 1 is a self-sufficient movie in which the audience can exit being excited for how this story will continue, while not having the impression that they’ve seen half a movie.
VERDICT: 6.5/10
Wicked adapts the beloved musical into a grand fantasy epic that will appeal to many, who, like us, haven’t seen the Wicked musical and aren’t massive admirers of musicals in general. After overcoming a jumbled first 15 minutes, the film gets progressively better as it explores the initial rivalry and eventual unlikely friendship between Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Galinda. Erivo is excellent as the more subdued and vulnerable of the two leads, while Grande is ultimately the film’s highlight in delivering a delightfully quirky and witty performance destined to captivate audiences. Chu’s film explores themes of prejudice and discrimination in an emotionally resonant, albeit conventional and basic, manner, although a subplot regarding animal welfare is misplaced. The story converges on a third act with an uninspired turn from Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz and messy plot revelations that build upon already shaky foundations of worldbuilding. Despite this, Wicked ultimately triumphs as a musical epic with scale and spectacle. The two leads have electric chemistry, the musical numbers are brought to life with grandiosity and polish, and the story captivates to such an extent that it will likely appeal to many who don’t usually gravitate toward musical films.